When parents and teachers admonished you for not sitting upright and slouching, they were right! Bad posture is detrimental to your health and puts stress on your body. Many people complain about muscle and backaches without realizing that their posture is the cause of that pain.
According to research, poor posture can cause many adverse effects on your body. When you overwork some muscles, they’re bound to be sore and achy. Chronic muscle and back pain can be addressed by correcting your posture.
That said, here are some of the worst ways that posture can affect your health:
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Soreness and pain: We’ve mentioned this, the back, neck, and shoulders are sensitive and especially affected by poor posture. This results from the extra pressure you’re putting on parts of your body in a reclined position.
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Poor circulation: Yes, bad posture can lead to poor circulation. When you combined lousy posture and sitting for extended periods, your body does not get the proper blood flow.
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Bad moods: It might seem like a far fetch, but your posture affects your overall mood and can prevent depression that comes with wrong postures.
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Lack of motivation: When you’re slouched or tucked into a ball, you hardly ever want to do anything. It may make you appear less confident and can affect your social and work life.
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Poor digestion: Bad posture is terrible for you right after you’ve eaten. Acid reflux and indigestion can be triggered by poor posture.
Five common posture mistakes you’re making
Whether knowingly or unknowingly, you make posture mistakes that could lead to adverse health effects, as discussed above. Here are the five posture mistakes you’re most likely to make:
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Standing with a flat back
A flat back can be caused by sitting for long periods of time or muscle imbalances. Adopting this position tends to tire out your muscles as you’re putting too much pressure on them. Standing with a flat back means that you’re leaning your neck and head forwards while moving your shoulders a bit back to flatten your back. This, in turn, causes your neck and upper chin to strain to hold you up.
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Standing or leaning on one leg.
Though comfortable and quite common, this posture is not healthy. Everyone has learned their weight on one leg when waiting in line or holding a conversation with friends. Studies have found that this leads to changes in the spine, which are maladaptive. This could lead to a curved spine, chronic pain, and even scoliosis.
Leaning on one leg shifts pressure from being distributed evenly to being focused on one side of your lower back and hip. Constantly adopting this posture will eventually lead to back, hip, and buttock pain; eventually, your spine will curve, making it harder to correct this posture.
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Slouching in a chair
Everyone is guilty of this. It is clear that some of the most ‘comfortable’ positions you sit in are not your body's healthiest options. Slouching in a chair pulls your hip bones back and pushes the bottom of your pelvis forward. That sweet spot you’ve just found on a chair is crunching your vertebrae together and exerting pressure on your discs, pinched nerves, and eventually a curved spine.
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Sticking your butt out
The booty pop might look great in pictures, but it does more harm than good to your body. Being in heels and sticking your butt out pulls your pelvis forward and tilts it downward. The curve of your lower back is overarched, and your hips are extended. This weakens your hamstrings and will result in back pain.
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Hunched back
This also encompasses the text neck. This is where you have your head forward and your shoulders hunched forward. When you’re constantly hunched forward to look at your phone, you’re increasing pressure on your spine, and you can pull it out of alignment the longer you do this.
What can I do to fix my posture?
The good news is, you can correct your posture. It is, however, to know when you need to involve a doctor for further help. You need to be patient and realize that it will take a bit of time to correct years of bad posture.
If you’re in constant pain or your posture has become problematic, you’re best suited to receive further help from a doctor or a health professional for a better explanation of what the problem is. Usually, doctors and health professionals will use posture correctors and a combination of exercises to help you improve your posture.
On your own, however, you can correct our posture by:
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Become aware of your daily habits
Bad posture is a result of habits that have formed over time. These habits might have formed unconsciously, but it is essential that you become aware of them. Make an effort to notice your posture when standing, sitting, and even lying down. Pay attention to how you go about your daily activities and begin making changes from there.
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Remind yourself
Kicking old habits is not easy, and therefore you must constantly remind yourself that you are actively trying to correct your posture. You can have simple post-its, come up with small exercises and ways of reminding yourself when you find yourself forgetting to observe your posture.
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Practice! Practice, practice
Practice makes possible, and with time, it will become easier to remember when you’re slouching or have a poor posture. In your quest to correct your posture, it is important that you keep practicing good posture habits until they stick.
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Exercise
There are many exercises that can help you correct your posture and ease sore muscles when you’ve been in a poor posture. Stretching, yoga, planks, and other forms of exercise can help alleviate pressure from your muscles and restore your body to optimal health levels.
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Stand tall
When standing, it is essential that you are standing upright and tall. Shoulders relaxed, feet slightly apart to maintain balance and help you keep the position for longer. Standing seems like a fundamental human function, but you’d be surprised at how many people do it wrong. Practice good standing habits to help correct your overall posture
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Move around
One of the main reasons for bad posture is being in the same position for long periods of time. Being hunched forward or slouched for too long encourages bad posture. It is therefore important that you move around every so often. This helps you keep changing your postures, meaning that you’re constantly using different muscles.
What about at work?
Most people spend most of their time at work, which is where they cultivate their bad posture habits. However, you can learn how to correct your posture at work by having a correctly configured workspace.
Ergonomic workspaces are all the rage right now, and they are helping countless people live healthier lives without having to abandon their duties and jobs. Changing your workstation's configuration can be the first step towards correcting your posture and bidding farewell to muscle aches, back pains, and long-term spine issues.
How do you configure your workspace to support good posture?
An ergonomic workstation is your knight in shining armor. An excellent ergonomic station ensures that your legs and feet are supported, your back and neck also have sufficient support. Your knees and hips should always be at the same level when sitting.
When standing, you should ensure you’re standing upright and not hunched forward or leaning on one leg.
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Change your chair for an ergonomic one.
An ergonomic chair is a healthy addition to your workstation. It helps you achieve an optimal sitting position. Ergonomic chairs are fitted with adjustable height, armrests, and neck rests to help you maintain an upright posture while at work. Even after investing in a good chair, it is important that you watch the way you sit.
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Get a standing desk.
Workplaces have traditionally been about sitting at desks all day and having very little movement throughout the day. However, modern workspaces are bringing in healthier options to help people attain maximum productivity and remain healthy.
A standing desk gives you an option between standing and sitting. You have an adjustable desk that you can configure according to your needs. One such desk is the that is a high-quality desk with powerful movements and adjusts in a matter of seconds.
The electric height adjustable standing desk can hold up to 100kg while moving up and down and helps you achieve a modern-day workspace at an affordable price. In addition to its high-grade steel, the desk frame is designed to ensure stability even at the highest height. You have access to three programmable presets where you can save your best standing and seated positions.
The Flexispot standing desk allows you to choose your ideal keypad to help you configure your workspace into your perfect spot. Available in multiple colors and fibreboard and chipboard, you have yourself a sturdy ergonomic standing desk. The Flexispot is also carefully crafted from environmentally friendly material and puts your safety into consideration as well as comfort and style.
