How to Correct Bad Posture?

Your posture is important, not just for working out, but for regular activities like walking, standing or sitting. Most of your posture relies on your spine, which has three natural curves: one at your neck (cervical curve), another at your upper back (thoracic curve), and another at your lower back (lumbar curve). Keeping these three curves in proper alignment gives you equal weight balance, a confident appearance, and reduced risk of injury. Bad posture puts more weight on an area of your body than you ideally should. This results in straining your joints and muscles.

However, bad posture doesn't happen overnight. It's a gradual process. Bad posture is a response to how you hold your body in various positions, such as sitting, slouching and standing. After a period of time, your posture muscles become weak and other muscles take over the work, making it comfortable to slouch. Poor posture is a learned behavior and can be unlearned. But in order for the "unlearning" process to start, you need to know the basics.

What is good posture?

Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or laying down. Good posture involves training the body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments. With good posture, your balance is maintained admirably, your bones are stable and your ligaments and joints work well without pain. The nervous system and circulatory system are also well regulated.

Good Standing Posture

When standing, a good posture includes a straight line from your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. To test your standing posture, you can perform the wall test. Stand with your head, shoulder blades and buttocks touching a wall, and your heels about four inches away from the wall. Stick your hand between your lower back and the wall, with your palm flat against the wall. If there is about one hand's thickness of space between your back and the wall, then you have a good posture.

Good Sitting Posture

When seated, a good posture includes your feet flat on the floor, your knees level with your hips, your back firmly against the chair and your weight equally distributed on both hips. Your shoulders should be relaxed with your upper back and neck comfortably straight.

What are the benefits of a good posture?

The benefits of a good posture are:

• It keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used properly.
• It helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces.
• It decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together.
• It prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions.
• It also prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy.
• It prevents backache and muscular pain.
• It contributes to a good appearance.

How do I correct my Posture?

It's never too late to improve posture, but the earlier you start, the better. Improving your body's posture is easier when you're younger and your body is more pliable. If you have an incorrect posture than you can adopt the following measures to rectify it:

• Weight training: The most common cause of bad posture is weak muscles in the core, which can be fixed with weight training. If you usually slouch in your seat, work your upper back and shoulders. If you slump your belly forward, work out your abdominals. Working out will make your body used to good posture.

• Stretching: Try to incorporate stretching exercises in your exercising regime. Always keep in mind that stretching exercises help in a big way in improving your body posture. If you have a sedentary job, spend 10 minutes each morning doing some simple stretches.

• Yoga: Yoga is also excellent for posture. Yoga helps improve your posture by strengthening the muscles that support your spine. It also improves the flexibility of your spine, shoulders and hips, allowing you to maintain good posture without strain.

• Use firm mattress for sleeping: Sleep on a firm mattress that can support your spine while you are sleeping. Make sure you do not stack too many pillows otherwise your neck will get placed at an awkward angle. If you sleep on your side, place a small pillow between your knees, and if you sleep on your back, place a small pillow will under your knees. This will help in keeping the spine aligned. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.

• Use proper posture while sitting: Back pain and bad posture are the most common work-related injuries and is often caused by ordinary work activities such as sitting in an office chair. Adjust your seat height such that your feet are flat on the floor with thighs horizontal. Make sure to sit with your hips as far back against the back of the chair as possible. Adjust the armrests such that your arms rest comfortably with your shoulders relaxed. Your seat's back should provide solid back support and your entire back should be supported at all times. Try using a pillow or a towel if you think your back is not getting the support it needs from the back of the chair. You shouldn't lean forward to see your computer screen. If you are leaning, then adjust your seat height or tilt your monitor upward. Don't be afraid to ask for an ergonomic chair, mouse pad and keyboard.

• Remind yourself: Knowing about the good posture is easy, but sticking to it is the difficult part. Remind yourself of the importance of sitting or standing up straight. Use your friends as your support system. Ask them to point out whenever they see you slouching.

It may take a period of discomfort and unpleasantness to be able to correct your posture. But once you are able to get the problem taken care of, you will experience benefits for the rest of your life. Good posture does not have to be painful and it shouldn't be! So do not force yourself to sit in an uncomfortable position only because it is "proper." Instead, work out the muscles in that area and improve your posture naturally.