| 5 easy way to improve your posture 👍 |
HOW POOR POSTURE CAN FLATTEN Poor posture can flatten out or accentuate the natural curves in our spines, causing chronic pain and serious health issues. In fact, this is becoming increasingly common due to the amount of time people spend sitting at a desk or looking down at their smartphones.
Here's why good posture is important for your health and five exercises to help you improve it.
Why is good posture important?
"In good posture, the bones are lined up on top of each other like children's blocks, carrying the weight of the body,Good posture allows the bones to support weight, allowing the muscles to work the least. Poor posture causes the muscles to overwork." The poor posture can results in : -
- Excessive wear and tear on the joints and discs
- Decreased flexibility
- Headaches
- Breathing problems
- Gastrointestinal problems
Common posture mistakes
Bad posture is common, and there are few activities that can increase your risk of developing poor posture. This includes . Sitting. Spending a lot of time sitting causes the natural forward curve in the thoracic spine to become accentuated. "That closes down our rib cage and our lungs, and it's hard to take a deep breath,"
Texting. Looking down at a smartphone or other device can cause "text neck," a repetitive strain injury that generates pain in the neck and shoulders.
Being overweight. People who are overweight may be more likely to have spinal and joint pain. "Excessive weight in the spine will cause the spine to break down, and that causes the spine to fall into a bad posture as it deteriorates," .
5 exercises to improve posture
"Many of these exercises aim to counteract the effects of bad posture so our body finds that equilibrium again," ."The longer we maintain a poor posture, the more the muscles learn that posture, and then it's hard to break it."
you should do each of these exercises at least once a day, for 10 repetitions each, . Then, as you get used to them, you can increase reps. you might see some minor improvements in a few days, but because these exercises build muscle back up, it will probably take a few weeks to see more noticeable improvements.1. Backward bend
- While standing, place your hands behind your back, at the top of your buttocks.
- Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, with your toes turned slightly out.
- Bend your head, shoulders, and back backward.
- Slowly return to standing.
2. Press-up
- Lie on your stomach, with your hands on the ground under your shoulders.
- Push up, attempting to straighten your elbows, so that your spine arches back gently.
- Keep your hips and legs on the ground.
- Use your arms (rather than your back muscles) to hold yourself up.
- Lower back down
3. Doorway chest stretch - Stand in a doorway with your forearms on the doorway and your back straight.
- Step through the doorway until you feel a stretch in your chest area.
- Hold for 10-15 seconds.
4. Standing chest stretch
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Interlock your fingers behind your back, with your palms facing up . Draw your shoulders back and down, keeping your arms straight, without arching your back. You should feel the stretch across your chest and shoulders.
5. Neck presses
This trio of exercises uses resistance to strengthen your neck. Hold each of them for 10 seconds.
1. Press your palm against your forehead and use your neck muscles to push against it. 2. Press your palm against your temple and push against your palm. Repeat on each side. 3. Cup both hands behind your head and press back into your hands. This exercise is important because, as you slouch over a desk or look down to text, you lose the muscle balance in the front and back of the neck, .
More tips for good posture
It may also be helpful to try and spend less time sitting. "The most life-changing advice I can give anyone is simply: Don't sit. For the first time in history, people sit for more hours than they sleep," .
To minimize the time you spend sitting, you can:
Use a standing desk
Have walking meetings at work
Walk while visiting with friends
Stand or pace while talking on the phone "If you have to sit, make sure the chair has good support," . Your heels should be under your knees, not tucked under the chair, and your knees and hips should be bent at a 90-degree angle. "Put your screen at eye level and the keyboard at elbow level. Ideally, let your elbows drop to your side," . And when you do text or look at your phone or device, hold it at eye level, so your head doesn't tilt down.
Great content 🤓
ReplyDelete