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Mar 06
2019

If you are experiencing pain brought on by poor posture, try to incorporate some of these tips for improving your posture into your routine today.

Posture refers to your body’s alignment or the position in which you hold your body. Good or proper posture is important to your health and body for so many reasons.

Why Is Proper Posture Important?

Posture helps us hold proper form when we complete so many of the activities that our daily lives require. Proper form helps prevent injury. Proper posture prevents wear and tear on joints, reduces stress on ligaments, and prevents fatigue. Proper posture keeps you from overstressing any one part of your body.

What Causes Poor Posture?

Poor posture may be caused by physical issues such as a lack of flexibility in muscles or lack of strength in core muscles. It may also be caused by too much time spent incorrectly in any one position, such as can happen when we are sitting or standing.

A perfect example of this is “text neck”– looking down at your phone too much. To remedy, try lifting your phone up to eye level when using. Neck stretches may also help.

Sitting in improper positions while driving can also cause poor posture. Wearing high heel shoes that throw the hips forward or sleeping in certain positions may also hurt your posture.

Poor posture can lead to back pain, neck pain, or overstressing other parts of the body and causing pain.

What Does Good Posture Look Like?

So how do you know if you have good posture? Here are some things to pay attention to when it comes to maintaining good posture whether you are sitting, standing, or lying down.

Proper sitting posture

Put feet flat on floor with toes pointed forward

Keep knees at or below hip level

Use a back support

Keep eyes straight ahead so that your chin is parallel to floor

Position shoulders as they remain when they are rolled up, back and down

Keep your spine in a neutral position

If sitting or typing, keep your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle

Keep hips even and aligned

Abdominal muscles should be slightly engaged

Proper standing posture

Equal weight should be placed on both feet

Balls of feet should take the brunt of the weight

Knees slightly bent

Feet shoulder width apart

Keep arms comfortably at side of body

Stand up straight

Shoulders rolled up, back and down

Abs engaged

Earlobes in line with shoulders

Proper lying position

Use a pillow to support your head and neck, keeping your neck aligned in a neutral position with your spine

Sleep on your side or back, not your stomach

If sleeping on side, use pillow between knees

Tips For Improving Your Posture

If you are experiencing pain from poor posture, the good news is that there are steps you can take beginning today to help improve your posture. Here are some tips for improving your posture.

Ask your physical therapist what exercises he or she can recommend to help improve your posture

Use ergonomic equipment to help improve your posture

Take breaks or get up and move throughout the day to help improve posture and prevent injury, especially overuse injury from repetitive motions, such as those caused by driving, sitting at a desk, or typing at a keyboard

[Related article: Stretches You Can Do At Your Desk]

Now that you know more about tips for improving your posture…

If you are experiencing pain brought on by the wear and tear of joints, or pain from overstressed ligaments and muscles that is brought on by poor posture, contact us for an evaluation today.