Posture
Posture is the body’s alignment and positioning with respect to the force of gravity. Whether we are standing, sitting or lying down gravity exerts a force on our joints, ligaments and muscles. Good posture entails distributing the force of gravity through our body so no one structure is overstressed.
Good posture is key to preventing common problems such as back pain, neck pain and headaches. Bad posture puts unnecessary strain on the body, pulls muscles, and can impact your mood, digestion, circulation and even your life expectancy.
Good posture can:
– Minimise the risk of many back and neck problems
– Maintain your bones and joints in the correct alignment
– Reduce risk of arthritis
– Enable you to use your muscles more efficiently
– Reduce fatigue
– Increase confidence and mood
– Prevent your spine from becoming fixed in an abnormal position
– Reduce the pressure on the discs in your spine
– Reduce risk of muscle strains as you won’t be overusing certain muscles and joints
– Reduce the stress on the ligaments of your spine
Tips While Sitting
– Keep both feet flat on the floor
– Align your back with the back of the chair
– Don’t slouch or lean forward
– Your knees should be level with your hips and your elbows should be between 75-90 degrees
– Keep your shoulders straight
– Get up often and stretch
– Choose an ergonomic office chair with good back support
This link is an ergonomic assessment tool. It is a quick and easy solution for determining the ideal height for your sit-stand desk, ergonomic chair, keyboard tray and monitor arm.
If you have poor posture, it is likely that some structures in your body have become very tight and others have become weak. To have this formally assessed by a Chartered Physiotherapist then book in today using this link.