How to Improve Your Posture
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Sit up straight! How often did your mother tell you that? For many people, this suggestion got filed right next to "eat your peas," or "your eyes will stick that way." Mom was right, though–—at least about your posture. Now, especially, when so many of us sit at a desk all day, it's important to follow these basic guidelines, both for your posture and for your health.
- If you work long hours at a desk and have the option, use a chair that's ergonomically designed for proper support and designed for your height and weight. If this is not an option, try using a small pillow for lumbar support.
- Align your back with the back of the office chair. This will help you avoid slouching or leaning forward, which you may find yourself doing after sitting too long at your desk.
- If you work on computers at an office, position the monitor on an angle a bit more upwards than you would if you were in more of a slouching position. This will force you to sit upright to see the screen better.
- As with standing posture, keep your shoulders straight and squared, your head is upright, and your neck, back, and heels are all aligned.
- Keep both feet on the ground or footrest (if your legs don't reach all the way to the ground).
- Adjust your chair and your position so that your arms are flexed, not straight out. Aim for roughly a 75- to 90-degree angle at the elbows. If they are too straight, you're too far back, and if they are more than 90 degrees, you're either sitting too close, or you're slouching.
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Find your center. Proper standing posture is about alignment and balance. It also lends an air of confidence. Here are some tips for achieving the correct upright posture:
- Place your feet about shoulder width apart, the same stance you would use for working out or many other physical activities.
- Stand up straight. This is, of course, the key to good standing posture, and bears repeating. As you develop good posture habits, this will become second nature.
- Keep your weight on the balls of your feet. When you rest on your heels, your natural tendency will be to slouch. Instead, stand up, and make an effort to stand on the balls of your feet. Notice how the rest of your body follows. Now rock back so that your weight is on your heels. Notice the way your entire body shifts into a "slouchy" posture with this single motion.
- Keep your shoulders squared. It may feel unnatural at first, if you have not developed good posture habits. Like standing up straight, however, this will become second nature.
- Pull your head back and up. Picture yourself reaching for the ceiling with the top of your head. Keep your head square on top of the neck and spine as you do this. Not only will this improve your posture, you will look taller and leaner, too. Try it!
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Identify good posture. Good posture is nothing more than keeping your body in alignment. Good posture while standing is a straight back, squared shoulders, chin up, chest out, stomach in, feet forward, your hips and knees in a neutral position. If you can draw a straight line from your earlobe through your shoulder, hip, knee, to the middle of your ankle—–you've got it. To find yours:
- Using a mirror, align your ears, shoulders, and hips. Proper alignment places your ears loosely above your shoulders and above your hips. Again, these points make a straight line, but the spine itself curves in a slight 'S'. You'll find that this doesn't hurt at all. If you do experience pain, look at your side view in a mirror to see if you're forcing your back into an unnatural position. If you do not have pain, then posture should not be altered, because this could cause other problems.
- The spine has two natural curves that you need to maintain called the 'double C' or 'S' curves. These curves of the back are also called lordotic and kyphotic. A lordotic curve is a curve in the lumbar spine, and when there is a increases angle this is called lordosis of the lumbar spine.A kyphotic curve is present in the thoracic spine, but when this curve exceeds 50 degrees it is called kyphosis of the thoracic spine.These are the curves found from the base of your head to your shoulders and the curve from the upper back to the base of the spine. When standing straight up, make sure that your weight is evenly distributed on your feet. You should feel comfortable in this position in order to correctly asses your posture.
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Avoid unintentional back injury. Lifting and carrying presents extra loads and balance problems that are not part of your normal, everyday physical structure. Lifting or carrying objects without regard to your physiology can cause discomfort, pain, or in some cases, real injury. Here are some guidelines for proper load-bearing posture:
- When you're lifting something off the ground any heavier than your cat, always bend at the knees, not the waist. Your back muscles are not designed for taking the weight, but your large leg and stomach muscles are. Use them well.
- If you do a lot of heavy lifting, either as part of weight training or as part of your job, consider wearing a supportive belt. This can help you maintain good posture while lifting.
- Keep it tight. The closer you keep large or heavy objects to your chest, the less you use your lower back when carrying them. Instead, the work is done with your arms, chest, and upper back.
- Balance your load to prevent stress and fatigue. If you're carrying a heavy suitcase, for example, change arms frequently. You'll know when.
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