If you struggle with back pain or any other posture-related conditions, then it may be time to revamp your habits and activities to improve your posture. While you might think that good posture and sitting up straight are basically the same thing, most chiropractors and health professionals would agree that there’s a little more to it than that.
Good posture isn’t just about looking good either. Poor posture habits can place stress on your joints, impact your balance, restrict your mobility, and cause significant pain throughout your musculoskeletal system.
In this article, we will show you various ways to improve your posture and avoid aches and pains caused by bad posture habits.
How To Improve Your Posture While You Sleep
When we think about improving our posture, we might focus on sitting or standing. But there are important ways to improve your posture when you’re sleeping as well. If you find yourself sleeping in a really tight ball, or wake up feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck in your sleep, then you may have poor sleep posture that needs to be corrected.
It is important to use a pillow that is comfortable and supports the natural curve of your neck. You should avoid pillows that are too low and cause your head to sink lower than the rest of your spine. It is also recommended to avoid lumpy pillows or using multiple pillows as this could cause your head to extend unnaturally upwards.
A big tip when it comes to improving your sleep posture is to avoid sleeping on your stomach as this forces you to externally rotate your head to one side, which may place unnecessary stress on your joints resulting in joint stiffness and pain. When you sleep on your side, it is recommended to place a pillow in between your knees to help keep your hips in line.
Posture Tips for Standing
Standing for long periods is a pain in general, but standing for long periods with poor posture may lead to chronic pain and even more serious conditions. Standing with poor posture may also place unnecessary strain on your joints, cause flexibility issues and impact your balance and stride so it’s important to stand properly and maintain a good standing posture.
Some tips to improve your posture while standing include:
- Be aware of your shoulder position
- Don’t hunch or slouch
- Stand with your chin parallel to the floor.
- Keep your shoulders back
- Stand straight and balanced
- Ensure your hips are not rolled forward
- Keep your stomach pulled in
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart
- Evenly distribute your weight on the balls of your feet
- Keep your head level and avoid tilting your head down
- Let your arms hang down naturally at your sides
Improve Your Posture With an Ergonomic Office Setup
A poor office set and sitting for hours at a time is a common cause of back pain and poor posture. Whether you work from home or you are back in the office, there are many things you can do to improve your posture when you are sitting.
Regardless of the type of chair you use, it is important to sit straight back in your chair with your feet touching the ground. Other tips to improve your posture while at work and sitting include:
- Sit at 90-degree angles
- Set your monitor at eye level
- Switch positions at least every hour
- Avid unbalanced sitting positions (don’t cross legs)
- Take brief walks around the office or your home
- Gently stretch or move your muscles
- Relax your shoulders and avoid hunching forward
- Avoid extending your head up or down for long periods
Consider Seeing A Chiropractor
If you regularly suffer from back pain or stiffness, you may benefit from improving your posture and getting additional advice from a chiropractor. When it comes to finding a chiropractor in your area, you can search through the list of accredited chiropractors on the Australian Chiropractors Association website or use your preferred search engine.
Be sure to include the suburb in your search. For example, if you live in Gladesville, be sure to search for ‘Gladesville chiropractor’ or chiropractor Gladesville’ to get the top and best-rated chiropractors in that area.
Chiropractors address musculoskeletal health concerns, which include back pain, neck stiffness, hip pain, back pain, balance issues, alignment problems and poor posture.