Ways to Improve Your Posture
By Debra Rodzinak
Whether standing, sitting, walking, or sleeping, good posture is necessary for a healthy back. For those who have poor posture, back pain can be present. Patients who suffer from back pain and poor posture must work on changing the way they sit, stand, walk, and even sleep to find relief.
Changing the way that you have done something for years is not easy. The effort will be worth it if it means relief from back pain. Improving back support with good posture will decrease back pain over time. It may feel unnatural at first, but the benefits far outweigh the initial uncomfortable feelings.
Here are some tips on how to rethink your posture.
Posture While Sitting
- Avoid slouching or leaning forward
- Purchase an ergonomically designed office chair for long-term sitting
- Adjust the chair so that the arms are at a 90-degree angle with the elbows while typing
- Knees should be even, or slightly higher, with the hips when sitting
- Feet should not dangle in the air
- Keep shoulders straight
- Get up and walk around as needed
Posture While Standing
- Get off the heels by standing with most of the weight on the balls of the feet
- Keep feet shoulder width apart
- Allow the arms to hang down the sides of the body
- Don’t lock the knees together
- Keep the head level and tuck the chin in to the chest a little
- Stand straight and tall with the shoulders upright
- When standing for a long period of time, shift the weight from the heels to the toes and from one foot to the other
Check your standing posture by backing up to a wall. Place shoulders and buttocks against the wall. If your head does not touch the wall, you are carrying your head too far forward.
Posture While Walking
- Look straight ahead and keep the head and eyes up
- Avoid letting the head fall forward
- Keep shoulders aligned with the body
Proper footwear that supports the feet should be worn to ensure proper alignment.
Posture While Driving
- Sit with back and shoulders firmly against the seat
- Tilt the headrest to support the middle of the head without throwing the head forward
- Adjust the seat a proper distance from the steering wheel so that leaning forward is avoided
In addition to changing your posture, begin your new way of thinking about how you stand, sit, walk, and drive with a spinal adjustment at The Joint. Having good posture is necessary, but fruitless, if your spine is not aligned. The expert doctors at The Joint use gentle adjustments to bring the spine into alignment with the rest of the body allowing the body to heal itself naturally. With extended weekday and weekend hours, appointment times are not necessary. So, drop by The Joint today to begin your path to better posture.