5 Tips to a Good Posture

Increased stress, poor blood circulation, back pain… A poor posture in your daily activities can lead to many harmful effects. Joint health is unfortunately not spared since poor posture puts excessive pressure on certain joints. This can cause premature aging of these joints, leading to various health problems. The consequences of poor posture on the joints are discussed in this article.

It is important that you be mindful of your posture every day. To that end, discover below 5 tips to help you adopt a good posture.

Modern and Sedentary Lifestyles: Enemies of Our Posture

Our modern lifestyle has pushed many people into a commute-work-sleep routine and sedentary lifestyles. Sedentary behavior is defined as a low-energy expenditure while sitting or lying down for extended periods of time daily. This is because we drive to work, spend long hours sitting at a desk, watch TV and then go to bed. All these sedentary activities often have an impact on our posture since we rarely adopt ergonomic positions.

In addition, cell phones and screens, which now follow us in almost every step of our daily lives, also have a negative effect on our posture. In fact, we tend to push our head and neck forward when looking at our screens, which considerably increases the weight of the head, supported by the spine.

5 Posture Tips

Standing

When standing, be careful not to throw your head and shoulders forward in a hunched position. Instead, remember to hold your head up high to form a straight line from the top of your head to your coccyx. Also, contract your abs while standing and walking. This will prevent hyperlordosis, an exaggerated curvature in the lumbar region (lower back).

Be mindful of “text neck”

Neck problems related to the use of cell phones and other mobile devices, now widespread in all age groups, are called “text neck.” Unfortunately, as mentioned above, this increases the pressure on the spine, which can lead to stiffness, pain and headaches. So remember to hold the screen at eye level to avoid putting your head and shoulders in a hunched position.

Proper working posture

Office workers are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of poor work posture. Below are some tips to help you avoid the effects of poor posture on your neck and spine, but also on other parts of your body:Make sure you have a good office chair that keeps your legs at a 90-degree angle to your thighs. Feet should rest completely on the floor.
Your office chair should also have a lumbar support, which is a rounded cushion that supports the lower back.
Your desk should be at arm height and your arms should also be at a 90-degree angle. Wrists should remain straight, in line with the arms.
Your screen should be positioned directly at eye level.

Preventing back injuries

A lot of back injuries occur when a person improperly picks up a heavy load from the ground. Always remember to bend your knees instead of your back when bending down. This will help you avoid putting excessive pressure on your back and lumbar region.

A good sleeping position is just as important

Finally, we need to address the sleeping position. Whether you sleep on your back or on your side, your head and spine should always be well aligned. To that extent, choose your mattress and pillow according to your preferred sleeping position. We recommend that you consult with sleep professionals for personalized advice and to ensure that you have good postural habits, even when you sleep!

Maintaining your joint health involves all the little things you do every day.

So, do you have a good posture ?