Have You Thought About Your Posture Lately?

We recently gave a presentation at a company about ergonomics, and it got me thinking - what about my own posture? Do I have any aches and pains? Turns out I do. We all do! We stand all day teaching and that can put a lot of stress on our joints. Some of us have babies, and feeding them and holding them can put strain on our necks and backs. But when we’re in the thick of it - we’re not really thinking - oh how is my posture? Am I sitting up straight? But perhaps we should.

Poor posture causes all sorts of health issues, including:

Increased risk of Musculoskeletal Injuries in the joints, muscles, ligaments, and spine

Poor circulation

Decreased blood flow

Decreased energy and mood

Increased risk of headaches

Reduced flexibility and balance

Think about how you’re holding your body in space during different parts of your day. In your car, walking to the coffee shop, picking up your kids, carrying groceries, at work, etc. It’s essential to ensure that you’re sitting and standing properly, because either way, if you’re not moving, you’re sedentary. 

So let’s talk proper posture. Take a look at this image. We call this your kinetic chain. Each filled-in dot represents part of the kinetic chain and you want these dots to essentially line up. So, in a standing position, you want your ears, shoulders, pelvic bone, knee and ankle bone to line up. Most of us do not stand like this. Give it a try - it actually takes work! 

Poor posture is common amongst almost all of us. It actually takes work to sit up straight! Below are some common postures that you may see.

Notice the dots do not line up in each of the common postural problems. And each one of these postures can cause a lot of discomfort in the body. Do you stand like any of these images? 

Now, how do we fix this!? 

First, assess your own posture. How do you stand? How do you sit? Does anything hurt currently, such as your back, neck etc? Perhaps your posture has something to do with it! Start to notice how you carry yourself throughout your day and take note of the “bad habits” you have while sitting or standing. Perhaps you constantly lean to one side, or cross your legs, or sit on your legs. Whatever it is, be aware of it when you do it and then you can correct it. 

Let’s talk sitting

When you sit you want your ears, shoulders and hips to line up. Sit up tall and hold your abdominal muscles and keep your shoulders back. Adjust whatever chair you’re sitting in so that your feet are flat on the floor, your legs are at 90 degrees and your weight is evenly distributed between both sits bones (bony landmarks of your pelvis). Have your back against the back of the chair, if it doesn’t reach put a pillow at your lumbar spine for support. 

Now for standing

Similarly, you want all of those checkpoints mentioned above to line up. Keep your weight evenly distributed between both feet and have them hip width apart facing forward. Ensure your knees aren’t locked (if you’re hyperextended in your joints at all this is important). Keep your shoulders relaxed and down away from your ears and keep your chest open and chin tucked to line up with your ears and shoulders. Engage your core to protect your back! It’s a lot of work!

It’s a lot of work to stand and sit properly, and it may take a bit to master proper posture. We invite you to give this a try, as there are so many benefits to good posture. This includes:

Reduced chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders

Strengthened core muscles

Improved blood flow and breathing

Improved digestion 

Increased energy 

Decreased headaches due to strain on the neck and shoulders

Helps the body age gracefully 

Improved mood and confidence

Improves focus and concentration

Supports better sleep

So walk tall and reap the benefits of good posture!!!