Posture is the unique position that your body adopts while sitting or standing. However, some postures are not good for your body since this leads to several risks as well as affect your image and self-esteem. By adopting the right posture, you get to enjoy so many benefits that you never thought existed. This article looks at different methods you can use to improve your posture.
- Wear the Right Shoes
Putting on shoes with sharp heels can misalign your posture since a lot of pressure is exerted on the feet. This pressure makes you bend a little backward in a bid to try to reduce it. The result is that your spine bends over time, thus changing your posture. To avoid this, you should put on flat shoes or minimize the amount of time you wear heels. In case you cannot do without heels, you should put on a smaller heel, not more than 2 inches.
- Stand Up Straight
Standing with your shoulders low and your neck shrunk inwards and downwards can misalign your posture after a long period since the spine is stressed by the weight you exert on it with your upper body. Since the spine is bent, you end up adopting that bent posture. To reverse this, you should stand straight, with your shoulders and neck high. Your line of sight should always be perpendicular to your height. This is quite challenging since you may keep forgetting, in which case you may try using a posture corrector vest.
- Use Your Phone at Right Positions
Many people spend a lot of time on their mobile phones chatting or watching online videos. However, most of us hold their phones in the wrong position; below the line of sight. This makes you to keep facing down for extended periods. With time, you change your posture and this is accompanied by chronic back, neck and shoulder pain.
- Adopt Good Sleeping Positions
Sleeping on your stomach changes your posture because the spine is a little bent. Another main concern with this sleeping position is that most of your lower back weight is exerted on the spine and this makes it bend after a while. To avoid lower back pain and achieve the correct posture, try sleeping on your back or side.
- Sit Properly
People who sit behind the desk using a computer for long periods are more at risk of suffering back and shoulder pains if they do not sit properly. This is because sitting in the wrong position stresses the spine making it bend and eventually misaligning your posture. The right sitting position is with your knees bent at a right angle with the floor, the hips and seat should be perpendicular to each other. Your eyes should also be facing straight at the computer in front of you and not any other angle.
- Strengthen Your Muscles
When the body is frail, the muscles are not strong enough to withstand your weight. Eventually, the spine is put under a lot of pressure that makes you lean forward or backward, in a bid to look for more support. To avoid a wrong posture, you should try doing a bit of workouts so that your muscles can strengthen enough to carry your weight. By doing so, your spine will always be straightened, if coupled with other tips of correcting posture.
- Carry a Better Bag
Since the wrong posture is by far caused by too much pressure on the spine, you could try carrying a bag that falls evenly on your back. If you do not have such a bag but have one that falls only on one side of the back, you can try changing the sides from time to time throughout the day. This will help equal the weight on your back, and eventually, you will get an aligned posture.
Remember that correcting posture is quite a long journey so do not get discouraged if you try using some of these tips and the posture does not change. Keep practicing them bearing in mind the goal you want to achieve with a correct posture, and in the fullness of time, you will have a great posture. On top of feeling great, you will look even more appealing as well as having relief from chronic back, shoulder, and neck pain, plus migraines that come because of a misaligned posture. Alternatively, you could try seeing a chiropractor to help you.
To make an appointment or if you have any questions, please contact us today!