Healthy Ways to Start Improving Posture
By now most of us know how we actually look as we work through the day may not be the way we really want our posture to be, as we hunch over our screens and power through our work. Those rounded shoulders with head bent down can trigger back pain, become unattractive habits when we stand, and impact our overall well being and our self esteem.
Ways to reverse poor posture
The Huffington Post has a simple solution. Brooke Marone suggests buying a foam roller and stretching out on it every night for a few minutes. Position your body horizontally on the foam roller with hips at the bottom of the roller with head and neck also relaxed on the roller. Make sure feet are a few inches apart and heels are also a few inches away from the foam roller. Your back will be in a neutral position without much of an arch. Don’t push your lower back into the foam. Then place your arms several inches from the body and relax into a shoulder stretch. Then just naturally let those shoulders open up and the chest start to stretch out. Repeat every night.
Real Simple adds a few more exercises to reinforce good posture.
Do a Shoulder Roll. Stand or sit comfortably. Inhale, raise your shoulders and shoulder blades to your ears. Exhale and pull your shoulder blades down and together. Repeat five to ten times.
Do a Chest Release. Raise arms to just below shoulder height, palms facing forward. Exhale and slowly rotate hands at the wrists so fingers point slightly behind you. Take three to five breaths.
Do a Pyramid. Step your left foot back so it rests on the floor. Square your hips. Keep legs straight, clasp forearms behind your back, exhale and learn forward from your hips. Do not round your spine. Take three to five breaths, rise and switch sides.
Do a Chair Pose. Stand and raise your arms in front to shoulder height. Contract arm muscles. Exhale as you bend your knees, no more than 90 degrees. Keep knees over toes. Take two breaths. Repeat three times.
As you start working on your posture exercises, keep an eye on the results. Remember to sit up straight and keep your eyes focused straight ahead on your screen as you work. Then follow through as you take a walk at lunch or sit down for dinner. Wherever you are, make good posture an ongoing effort until it automatically settles in and becomes a comfortable habit. You can also add yoga or Tai Chi classes to reinforce the process.
If you are still not getting the results you want look for help from your doctor, chiropractor and fitness coaches.