Do Your Kids a Favor, Teach Them Correct Posture

By Donna Stark

You teach your children how to share, read, add and subtract, and how to say please and thank you, but do you take the time to teach them how to sit correctly? Young people generally don't think too much about the effects that poor posture can have on their future health, so it's important to help them understand what they may be faced with. Teaching proper posture while they are young, and before any bad habits set in, is vital to their health and wellness! Here are some tips on how to do so.

Stretch Them Out

Tight shoulder and chest muscles can lead to poor posture, so encourage your children to stretch daily. Stretching in the morning as soon as they wake up or before they head to bed can help ease the muscle tension that pulls their body out of alignment. It can also reduce the risk of strain and injury.

Invite Them to Your Yoga Session

Yoga is suitable for all ages so grab your kids and bring them to your next session. Many of the postures help to strengthen the body's muscles and bones, and ease tension in the back, neck, and shoulders. Yoga also helps to encourage balance, improve flexibility, and support optimal spinal health.

Teach Them How to Sit Correctly

Do your children tend to slump over their laptops? Do they spend hours on their electronic devices with their heads and shoulders pushed forward? It's not too late to address those bad habits! Remind them how to sit correctly with these tips.

• Both feet should be square on the floor
• Shoulders should be pulled back
• Head should be in a neutral position directly above the shoulders
• Screens should be at eye level

Get Them Moving

Another way to encourage proper posture is to get your children moving! Physical activity will increase bone and muscle strength, and improve flexibility and range of motion, but more importantly, it will keep your kids off the couch! A strong body and a healthy spine will do wonders for their posture.

A Lifetime of Good Posture

It is always easier to establish and maintain healthy habits from the beginning than to change those bad habits later in life, so teach your children proper posture from the start. Just like every other healthy habit, good posture is something they will be able to carry well into adulthood ... along with their ability to read, write, add, and share their favorite toys.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Temecula, Calif.