Is your poor posture starting to cause you pain?
What does poor posture look like?
Some of the most common signs of poor posture are rounded shoulders, head leaning forward or backward, stomach and hips pushed forward, swayed back, or a strained neck. We often see poor posture in individuals looking down at their phones, sitting at a desk or computer and carrying heavy equipment.
What can this lead to?
Although we may feel more comfortable or familiar with these positions, they can have a huge negative impact on our overall health. Some of the health issues that poor posture leads to are…
- Neck, shoulder, and back pain
- Joint degeneration
- Potbelly and rounded shoulders
- Increased risk of spinal injury or spinal dysfunction
- An effect on balance and increased risk of falling over
- Incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse in women
How do I fix my poor posture?
Lucky for us, our posture is constantly being adapted and we can easily make tiny adjustments in our movements and positions which leads us to have good posture. The focus should not be to ‘correct’ our posture but to instead, enhance our postural awareness and actively practice posture variability. A great way to start is to be conscious of the following.
- Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes the majority of the time
- Stand/sit straight and tall with your shoulders back
- Engage in core exercises so it is easier to use your abdomen
- Keep your head level and in line with your body
- Make sure work surfaces are at a comfortable height
- When sitting; switch positions often, take brief walks, don’t cross your legs, and make sure your back is fully supported.
If you are struggling to improve your posture don’t despair, with some help you can make a big improvement. If you want some more help to improve talk to one of our physiotherapists at Back To Health Physiotherapy in Newport for some more guidance.
You can book online at our website or call us on 9997 4970 and our team will direct you.
Reference:
Adapted from: MedlinePlus (2017), Mayo Clinic (2023), and Physiopedia (2023).
