Physical inactivity, spending long hours working at a desk, or hunching over mobile phones and gadgets may negatively impact your posture. Due to inaccurate posture, many people report discomfort and pain in different body areas, such as the shoulders, back, and neck.
If you have similar complaints, improving your posture with simple lifestyle tips might help. These include levelling your desk, eating calcium rich foods, exercising, and more. Scroll down for the details of a good posture and how to fix a bad one.
The Anatomy of Posture
Posture is how we hold and position our bodies while we sit, stand, walk, etc. Our posture is supported by the musculoskeletal system, which includes muscles, bones and connective tissues.
So, what is a good posture? A correct posture is the body stance causing the least strain on the muscles, bones, and ligaments while performing any physical activity or at rest. On the other hand, a bad posture exerts excess stress on our musculoskeletal system, leading to various health issues over time and reduced bone health. The following section will make you understand how to fix bad posture.
Tips to Improve Posture
You can rectify your posture and improve bone health with simple lifestyle tips. Some of these are mentioned below:
1. Identify Your Posture Problems
Observe your sitting, sleeping, or working at the desk positions. If your body weight needs to be correctly balanced, and you look like you are heaping a lot of weight on one side of the body or your head is forward or sideways in tilt, you are inviting posture problems. Identification of poor posture habits sets the pace for rectification.
2. Do Exercises
Exercising relaxes your body and enhances flexibility. Moreover, exercising strengthens your bones and muscles and reduces stiffness in your joints, supporting your spine and posture. Incorporating exercises into your daily-routine (even for half an hour), not only enhances your fitness, but also boosts your energy levels.
3. Have An Ergonomic Setup
Place the work desk appropriately and have the computer screen at eye level to mitigate strain. Get yourself a chair which supports your back and neck comfortably. An adjustable chair works best to support your changing postures.
4. Do Regular Check-Ups
In some cases, it is due to bone health problems. Regular check-ups ensure that such diseases do not worsen and that intervention and treatment occur on time. Calcium deficiency also leads to a disorder involving bone and posture. The physician may advise you to consume foods rich in calcium, like nuts and seeds, dairy products, and grains, or he may prescribe calcium tablets.
5. Professional Advice
Get yourself assessed by an experienced physical therapist to diagnose your posture accurately. They can give you tailor-made exercise suggestions and guide you on correcting your posture according to your lifestyle habits and work environment.
Conclusion
Poor posture can be caused by slouching at a desk or table for too long, your work desk being too high or too low, and if you are carrying your weight or a purse awkwardly on one side of the body. If there is an issue with your bone health, this, too, might bring about poor postures. Exercising regularly, having appropriate postures, and making sure the proper adjustments in the workstation can support your posture significantly.
