A lot of people have mentioned they have “bad posture” and that they think it’s responsible for the aches and pains they feel in their bodies. They mention noticing themselves slouching when sitting at work, on the couch or standing for long periods because it feels more comfortable to do and it’s just natural.
So are these comfortable positions responsible for your pain and what is the best posture to be in? Most importantly, how do we fix it?
I’ll provide you with some tips regarding your posture.
Tip 1– Probably not what you want to hear but, there is no correct posture!
Let me explain; any posture for an extended period of time is going to become an issue. Being in the same posture will place the force of gravity and your body weight on specific structures in the body. If you sit in the same position for 8 hours everyday at work, the overall load on those joints and structures will eventually become too much. This is when you will experience some kind of ache or pain; its the way your body signals that it doesn’t like something!
My advice is to change positions every 30 mins. This means if you’re sitting at a desk working, after 30 minutes stand and alternate. If you can’t stand and work, get up every 30 minutes to get a drink, go to the bathroom or have a general stretch. Don’t be scared to lay on your stomach, on your bed, put your feet up and even slouch for a bit! Just keep moving positions!
Remember the saying; your next posture is your best posture! If you have trouble remembering to change it up, set a reminder on your phone.
Tip 2– Increase your body’s tolerance with strength training. The more weight your body can throw around and the stronger your muscles are, the less significant the weight of your body and gravity will be. If you can squat 100kg on your shoulders multiple times, think of how insignificant the weight of your head on your shoulders will be. It’s all relative. Get into a regular gym routine that targets your whole body and you will notice an improvement in your posture and pains!
Tip 3– Use external support to manage. If you know you’re having a big day in front of the computer with lots of work and will forget to move around or have breaks, use a lumbar support pillow or a foot rest or an upper back brace. Use the back and arm rests on your chair, lean on things when you’re standing but remember to change it up often! These external supports help manage these loads. It is not however recommended to use them all the time and rely on them. You need to keep your postural muscles active to allow yourself the natural ability to keep an upright posture. If you know your muscles don’t have the capability to last the whole day and you will be aching after, use some kind of support to help minimize these aches and pains. You shouldn’t have to be in pain for no reason.
Tip 4– See your physiotherapist. We can help with all of the above and provide more specific suggestions to your home/work setup that will work best for you! We can provide the correct exercises for strength training and progress them as you improve and get stronger. We can show you the most ergonomic way to sit at your desk to minimise and distribute loads evenly across the body. We are here to help if you need us!
Tip 5– Be consistent with the changes you make and keep them for the long term. One day of utilising some of these tips isn’t going to fix your problems and undo the many hours of poor postural habits. We need to be consistent despite seeing minimal results in the beginning.