Good posture could help you look younger and thinner! So now I have your attention right? Posture is how you hold your body sitting, standing, laying down. We have been designed to line up a certain way, but unfortunately we get a little bent out of shape sometimes. Which not only could make you look like the hunch back lady in years to come but cause annoying things that just put a damper on your daily living.
Sadly we’ve seen a decline in appropriate posture with the increased use of cell phones and other techy gadgets, myself included in that!
Some side effects of poor posture
- Headaches
- shoulder pain or limitations
- neck and back pain, discomfort
- balance issues
- numbness and tingling down arms or legs
Consistent poor posture over time may bring on structural changes that cause permanent damage to nerves. Why? Because after they remain pinched they loose that good communication line to the brain and shut down or fail to function and do their job. Similar to when someone chokes and their air is cut off, after a while they shut down because they have no oxygen, if air is returned there may still be some permanent damage or if the blockage remains there is death.
This we see frequently in people that perform jobs where the same motion is required over and over. Here is where the word ergonomics comes in!
Ergonomics????
This is where you study people’s efficiency in their work environment.
But it also applies to your at home life where you are “working”. Inefficient movement or placement when working leads to that break down of tissues, nerves, joints etc.
It’s important to look around your work place, desk, home set up, vehicle set up to make sure you are lining up your body the correct way. I’ll give some visuals below.
So what is good posture? What exactly should be lining up to make your body be awesome and work like a boss?!
Think how military people stand at attention, and you’ll have a picture in your mind what you should aim for. Up tall, shoulders back, stomach in, a real power pose! You can imagine a string coming out of the top of your head and someone pulling it to straighten you out.
Wondering how to start correcting your crooked self?
As I talked about above check out where you spend a majority of your time, maybe at a desk for example and set it up for posture success. Check this image out.
Also I just Googled ergonomics for the work place and clicked on images…. tons of great pictures and suggestions, some with measurements included.
In the car look at how you have your seat set up.
Here are some suggestions:
- does your head rest cause your head to be too forward, I had to turn mine around
- can your shoulder blades touch the seat, you might want to scoot closer to the wheel so you aren’t leaning forward
- is your wheel at the height where your hands are below shoulder height and can have a small amount of bend at the elbow
- do you keep your weight centered or tend to lean towards one side- I favor the right
- are your hips close to 90 deg, you might have to raise the seat
- do you have good low back support, if the seat doesn’t adjust place a small towel roll at the small of your back
- Where does the seat hit you on the backs of your thighs, does it pinch
- When you have your feet on the floor are your knees close to 90 deg.
- To reach the pedal are you having to fully straighten your knee and reach, you want to have a little bend, too much isn’t great either, listen to what is comfortable for your body.
- When you drive don’t let your foot turn out to the side try to keep both feet with toes facing forward and up as much as you can. When you have your foot rotated out all the time it also rotates at your hip and can pinch nerves and muscles that irritate you right in the buttock or knees.
Ok, so we have looked at our desk, car and other set-ups where we struggle to keep good posture and those are ready to go! Now here are some suggestions to build up a little muscle tone to assist in keeping parts in place or to gradually move things back where they need to go.
Shoulder rolls
Shoulder rolls are a simple exercise to throw in your entire day. I had a yoga instructor advise me once to do a shoulder roll every time you go through a doorway. Backward rolls is what you’ll be doing and this quick video shows you how.
Scap Squeezes
We call this a scapular clock squeeze. You are pulling your shoulders back and squeezing those scapular stabilizing muscles (the muscles in your upper back that help your shoulder blades move the way they are suppose to). The goal here is to try and pinch those shoulder blades together as close as you can! When you are squeezing at different angles, as it shows, you are going to target different muscles. When you establish some tone back there it helps keep your shoulders pulled back without you having to keep them squeezed back or think about it all the time.
For a video to observe and further explain this exercise try this.
For a little more advanced level or my peeps who like to work out. Here is a link to a great free workout from fitnessblender.com my favorite place to get my own workout videos to stay healthy and in shape.
Stretching
If your posture has been an issue for awhile you are going to notice that your chest muscles and probably the fronts of your shoulders are going to be a little tight maybe even some pinching. While the strengthening is great we must also check out some stretches to relax those muscles in the front and lengthen them back out. These are also super helpful after a long drive or if you work a desk job. Invest in your body and spend about 5 min stretching, after a shower is great because the muscles are a little more flexible from the hot water.
A few words of caution
- START OUT GENTLE, this WILL NOT be an overnight change, think more over the next week or 2
- DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH, just the opposite, you want to incorporate good deep breathing while you relax through these. The increased oxygen to the muscles helps them to give more.
- YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE INCREASED PAIN. Discomfort YES, expect a small amount or you aren’t stretching it far enough to do much good.
- YOU MUST HOLD THE STRETCH A MINIMUM OF 30 SECONDS. That being said I would also do several repetitions. Use a stop watch or do these where you can see a clock, because us counting isn’t accurate usually. Why hold it? Studies have shown that longer hold times means the muscle will hold that lengthened position better and stay there! What’s the point in doing it if the muscle is just going to snap back to the uncomfortable tightened position it was before?
- DON’T COMPROMISE YOUR SAFETY. This is geared to my folks who might have balance issues or weak knees. You obviously will want to be careful with a few of these that require a little lunging.
Check these out………
Doorway stretch
– find a narrow doorway, put both arms out as in the picture and do a small lunge forward till you feel a nice pull across the chest and into the shoulders. You can change the height to hit you where you are the tightest.
Again a short video to help demonstrate.
Corner Stretch
– this is along the same lines as the doorway stretch just depends on your set up which one is easier, and a video for it.
Supine pec stretch on a roll
– AHHHHHH, this one provides great relief for pretty much anyone that uses a computer or phone!
– The roll is for the more advanced and at home you can roll up a towel and place it along your spine. You may need a small pillow or roll to support your neck so you are not extending your head back too far (not posture friendly!)
– This DOES NOT have to be done on the floor, for most people I would say do this on your bed! Bend your knees up if needed for comfort of your back. Simply just take both arms out to your sides and pick the angle that hits where you are the tightest, I usually will do several angles. HOLD THIS UP TO 2 MINUTES!!!! You might have to work up to that goal. In this video he does a great job explaining the technique.
Other options or add ons
Kinesio Tape
Something cool we use in rehab is Kinesio Tape. This flexible sports tape has become very popular and has so many uses, not just for athletes! You can learn more about how it works here . You will find many rehab clinics use it as well as chiropractors and other body workers.
Essential Oils
Our house uses more plant based remedies to assist us. Using essential oils and essential oil based products are what I’m going to reach for to soothe my muscles. You can see the various options I have to choose from in the picture. All get applied frequently to my neck as I tend to wear my shoulders for earrings! NOT GOOD POSTURE!
You can learn more about the benefits and details on these oils on my education group here.
If you want to order any of these you can go here or please contact me and let me help you!
Posture is something you don’t have to sweat to correct and can make a world of difference. This post is just covering the basics and is general info. Small adjustments to daily activities and just becoming AWARE of how you stand or sit will allow you to see improvements. Our bodies so easily fall into habits and patterns that we don’t even realize. Have a family member or friend help correct you too when they see you fall into those positions that you know are the reason for your discomforts.
If you have serious concerns or nerve issues involved, like numbness, tingling, loss of motion or function I would recommend getting in to a good physical therapist to help do some in depth education for your specific needs.
When you are lined up appropriately you have better circulation, better connections from your nerves to your brain, it will all run more the way it was intended to.
Please share some changes you plan to make or areas you know need evaluated to see how you could tweak them to encourage better posture.