When someone says that you have bad posture, it’s easy to write them off. It seems trivial; something an 1800s preparatory schoolteacher would be concerned with. However, bad posture can lead to back pain, tension headaches, poor circulation, and even impaired breathing and digestion. Following these tips for improving your posture can help you avoid these issues and stand a little taller.
Posture Improving Exercises
Stretching can help release tension in the spine. This makes us naturally inclined to stand up straighter. When coupled with exercises that strengthen the back, leg, and buttocks muscles, it helps us maintain a better posture. Along with this, stretching helps relieve knots that may have built up in the back, shoulders, and neck from poor posture.
Get a Better Desktop Setup
One of the biggest causes of poor posture are jobs that force you to sit at a desk day in and day out. This can be exasperated by a desktop setup that doesn’t promote good posture. Here are a few things you can do to make your desktop as ergonomic as possible:
- Invest in a supportive chair
- Make sure your desk is the right height
- Put your computer at eye level
- Place the keyboard directly in front of you
- Store objects you regularly use in easy-to-reach spots
Even with the best desktop setup, it’s important to be intentional about taking breaks to stand up, walk around, and stretch throughout the day.
Get a Massage
Most people think of massages as little more than luxurious recreational pursuits. But massage has a number of health benefits, and improving posture is one of them. As with stretching, massage helps release tension in muscles ravaged by the effects of bad posture. Some forms of massage technology, such as the zero-gravity massage chair, can even help with spinal decompression.
Correcting one’s posture may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things. But finding little ways to improve our posture can help boost our overall health and wellness.
