There are so many activities we do that can unconsciously lead to bad posture. Things like bending forward to read from our phones/computers, slouching, extra weight, illness or accidents, learning a bad walking step from childhood, and many more.
When you think about a good posture, you probably think “standing straight” and you are absolutely right.
Maintaining a good posture is essential to your overall health and well-being, but many people have bad postures and are not even aware of how bad it is and the risk involved in having a bad posture.
A therapist said when your head is aligned with your shoulder, it weighs 12 pounds but when it is stretched forward it weighs up to 32 pounds and those extra pounds put a lot of pressure on your neck and spine.
So, if you have been having backaches that are not from an accident or injury, the pain may be as a result of the way you sit, slouch and hunch.
What is bad posture?
Bad posture is when the spine is curved in an unnatural position in which the curves are emphasised and puts a lot of pressure on the joints, muscles and vertebrae from being in a stressful position. The human spine is naturally in an S shape curve, this shape keeps the entire body aligned, constantly bending forward or backwards will distort the original S shape and thus begin to cause you some form of discomfort and disability later in life.
How to test your posture
Let’s test your posture with these two self-tests; you’d be able to tell if you have a good or bad posture.
There are five kinetic checkpoints that can be used to test; the head/ ears, shoulder, hip/pelvis, knees, ankle/feet. So stand in front of a mirror, with your side view facing the mirror. Stand straight and make sure these five kinetic points are aligned. If your ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and feet do not appear linear, your posture is probably bad.
You can try this second one anywhere, Stand up straight in a neutral position against the wall, then see if you can get your body to align. If your head is popping forward or your lower back isn’t up against the wall, then it’s obvious you have a posture problem. You can take this test now.
Dangers of bad posture
Bad posture can negatively affect your social life and your health;
Back, neck and shoulder pain: the pressure on the neck can begin to cause headaches. When your shoulder is rolled forward, it causes constriction of the muscles there and the tension there can cause shoulder issues and pain.
Poor blood circulation: This mostly affects computer users and those who bend forward when using cell phones ( TEXT NECK). Bad posture causes poor blood flow which makes your heart work faster and can cause a heart attack.
Impede lung function: as your posture deteriorates especially those who hunch, it begins to compress the lungs and it won’t fill with air as much as it should.
Constricted nerves: the long term effect of poor posture causes your spine to shift and mould into a different position, thus making the nerves not perform as they should.
Lack of balance: when you stand carelessly with a bad posture, your weight is not evenly shared so you are likely to easily fall and lose balance at the slightest push and this may lead to falls and injuries.
How to correct bad posture
It takes a great deal and a level of a conscious effort to correct a bad posture. Some people may be forced to correct their postures because of the pain caused by extensively having a bad posture.
The first step to correcting your posture is accepting that your posture is bad. If you took the self-test earlier mentioned, you must intentionally begin to stand and sit in an upright position. If you think you may forget, set a timer or an alarm to remind you every 30mins or one hour. That’s a good way to start.
Stand tall: your posture shows
whether you are confident or not. The aim is to have a proud confident look even if you are not confident. Stand straight, chest out, tuck your stomach in and raise but relax your shoulders. never look down again, keep your head levelled and keep your feet balanced, your weight should be on your heels and not your toes. It may be uncomfortable at first and you would look like a proud fellow but who cares as long as you fix your posture and look confident.
Exercise: several exercises can help correct your bad posture and because you need to proper form and posture to get your workouts done, it will correct your posture outside the gym and give you a confident gait.
Use a posture correction brace: sometimes a conscious effort alone will not help especially if the spine has been badly affected, what you need is a brace that will be worn over your shoulder and it can be worn inside any outfit. when it’s worn you would not be able to bend forward or slouch, it will also reduce fatigue and stress on your neck and shoulder. Shop online for a corrective back brace and how to use it. Although it shouldn’t be a long-term solution but it will give you a great headstart to having a perfect posture.
Change your workstation/chair: I’ve written several articles on how your office furniture can affect your health and productivity. Get an ergonomic chair with a headrest, a good ergonomic chair has that S shape the human spine naturally has, so it will make you sit with ease and slouch less. When coupled with an ergonomic table that has the right height, you no longer need to bend your head to work on your computer. When you sit in the office, always ensure that your elbow rests properly on your desk, that way you can easily sit upright. See where to shop for the best ergonomic chairs.
Pretend to wear a cast on your neck, as funny as that sounds it will help you Make an effort to hold your phone up instead of bending your head and neck to text and catch up on social media activities.
Yoga is also a great way to reverse bad posture. Stretching can assist with alignment and correction of the spine and muscles which will greatly improve your posture.
The bottom line is that you must get your posture right especially when you are still young because it can cause you terrible pain and sometimes an irreversible deformity at old age. Poor posture is often learned at teenage either consciously or unconsciously but whatever yours is, figure out what the cause of your bad posture is, texting, wearing too high heels, being just carefree, or an accident. If it’s pain or an accident, endeavour to see your doctor to figure ways to manage the pain and fix your posture.
Your posture also says a lot about your personality and confidence level, so chin up, with shoulders high and stand straight like the boss that you are and take charge.