My Spine World

Posture essentially means how you hold your body.

Its more than about looking good. In fact the better posture you have the better you look. Read on.

It helps you to develop strength, flexibility, and balance in your body. These can all lead to less muscle pain and more energy throughout the day. Proper posture also reduces stress on your muscles and ligaments, which can reduce your risk of injury.

1.  Dynamic posture is how you hold yourself when you are moving, like when you are walking, running, or bending over to pick up something.
2. Static posture is how you hold yourself when you are not moving, like when you are sitting, standing, or sleeping.

The key to good posture is the position of your spine. Your spine has three natural curves – at your neck, mid back, and low back. Correct posture should maintain these curves, but not increase them. Your head should be above your shoulders, and the top of your shoulder should be over the hips.

 Here I am going to describe to you how you can attain a good posture in 6 steps.

1.Don’t Be a Slouch

Trust me it’s easier said than done. The aim of our body is to maintain balance and to achieve centre of gravity. Slouching is common because the natural tendency is to have the head forward due to its weight and the body follows. It adds to the stress on your spine. That puts a strain on the bones, muscles, and joints you need to hold your backbone in place.

Slouching also reduces the space for your lungs to breathe and gives less space for your intestines. In other words, your intestines and your lungs don’t work well, and you end being fatigued early.

1. Always be conscious of your posture.
2. Keep a reminder if you have to on your phone or any smart devices. A 30 minute is a good idea to check on your posture
3. When you sit, make sure your head is over your shoulder. One way is to have your earlobes in line with your shoulder
4. Sit all the way back in your chair. Place a small, rolled-up towel or lumbar cushion behind your mid-back to protect your spine’s natural curve.
5. Bend your knees at a right angle and keep them the same height, or a bit lower than your hips. Place your feet flat on the floor.

Make the changes you require to do these postural adjustments.

Below is an example of a check list while sitting to do your work.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/4485-back-health-and-posture

Since this is very important and most of us spent more than half the time on your desk, Iam going to go thru some of the deskercises that will help you to straighten up and feel better.

There are 2 types of exercises :

1. Tucks – Chin tucks, Shoulder tucks
2. Stretches- Ear to shoulder stretch ,Roof to chest stretch, Chest stretch, Chin to shoulder stretch

• Chin tucks- Pull your chin towards your spine. You will feel the muscles in the back of your neck working slightly. Hold for 5 seconds and keep breathing. Do 10-15 at a time.
• Shoulder tucks- Your shoulder blades together, down and back. You will feel the muscles in the upper back working. Hold for 5 seconds and keep breathing. Do 10-15 times.
• Ear to shoulder stretch-Sit up straight and tilt your head to one side so your ear goes towards your shoulder. This will stretch the opposite side neck muscles. Hold for 30-60 seconds on each side.
• Roof to chest stretch-Sit up straight and look at the roof and then slowly bend your neck down towards your chest. At the bottom of the movement you will feel a stretch in the back of your neck. Hold this for 30-60 seconds.
• Chest stretch-Stand in a doorway and put both hands on either side of the door about head level. Lean forward until you feel a light stretch in your chest. Hold about 30 seconds and do 2-3 times.
• Chin to shoulder stretch-Sit up straight. start by looking directly in front and slowly look to the side as if you are looking over your shoulder.You will feel the same side muscles stretching.Hold about 30 seconds and do 2-3 times.repeat on the opposite side.

2. Straighten up!!

Another key area to focus is standing.A good way to stand up is to have your shoulders and your ear lobes in line, shoulders relaxed and abdomen tucked in.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/common-posture-mistakes-and-fixes/

Stand up tall. You’ll feel better and look better — slimmer, even.

Below are 4 tips to help you to stand straight.

• Pretend you’re standing against a wall to measure your height.

• Hold your head straight and tuck in your chin. Your ears should be over the middle of your shoulders.

• Stand with your shoulders back, knees straight, and belly tucked in.

• A good idea is to have someone record  a video of you when you stand and sit and then go on to correct the posture as I mentioned before.

To help correct your standing posture, imagine a string attached to the top of your head pulling you upwards

3.Beware of text neck

On your smart devices all day? Take a minute to stretch your neck. When you tilt your head down to check messages it really strains your spine. Over the course of a day or year , that can add up.  Remember when you bend down the  front of the cervical spine ( that is  your neck) area will eventually kyphose or bend forward. Also, remember that your neck should be curved backwards than forwards. It will also stretch your trapezius muscle that connects your neck with the shoulder blades and you will end up with a stiff neck and upper backaches.

Here are 4 tips for you for that pain in the neck :

• Bring the screen to eye level so your head is not slouched forward or too high. Instead, keep a neutral spine so your ear is in line with your shoulders.
• Take phone breaks, water breaks, tea brakes, or any break.. as long as you get to ditch your smart devices. Even 5 minutes every hour will do.
• Did you know that there is an app for text neck?! There are text neck apps that offers “immediate real time feedback” about your posture (indicated by a green or red light). There’s also an optional vibration or beep reminder to tell you when you’ve lapsed back into bad habits.
• Do 20 minutes of exercises mentioned above or modalities like yoga.

For a better view, lift the phone up and move your eyes, not your head

4.   Save Heels for a Big Night Out

They might be a fashion yes, but they’re likely a posture no.  Pumps and stilettos thrust the base of your spine forward, which over-arches your back. That can change the way your backbone lines up and put pressure on nerves, which causes back pain. Sky-high shoes also put more weight on your knees and not to talk about your  foot and ankles.

Choose a lower, chunky heel for daily wear or wear a sneakers

5.  Hit the sack right

Naptime is no excuse to slack. Want to wake up completely relaxed ?

Here are 4 tips to get it right.

• Skip the soft, saggy mattress. Choose a firm one that helps hold your spine’s natural shape.
• Side sleeper? Bend your knees slightly but don’t hug them. Place a pillow under your head so it’s level with your spine.
• Back sleepers should ditch the thick pillow and opt for a small one under the neck.
•  Remember the neck is naturally bend backwards so do not try to use a thick pillow. If you use one you will find yourself waking with a stiff neck

 6.  Do your daily core

Too many pounds around your belly puts added stress on your back. You need strong muscles to support your spine.Period.

A well-designed workout plan will keep your body and spine in tip-top shape. And that’s important. Do these and you will find yourself reaping the windfall for not only your back but in a lot other areas as well.

https://www.myspineworld.com/18-back-pain-exercises-for-you-to-bounce-back/

Include a  few core strengthening exercises in your daily regime

https://www.myspineworld.com/6-posture-tips-for-peak-performance-infographic/

Treat your spine with respect and it will respect you back. Have a great posture and a fruitful day!! See you soon with some more spine tips in My Spine World.Remember, we got your back!