From the office to home, many of us spend a large proportion of our days
sitting down. One of the leading causes of back pain is slouching and not
sitting properly. Improving your posture when sitting has some great benefits
not only to back pain but to your overall health, so here are some tips to help
you nail good sitting habits.
1. Stand up straight
If you have a generally rounded posture when sitting and this includes
stooping your shoulders when you stand, then learning to stand
straight can help. Imagine an invisible cord tied to the top
of your spine that pulls you straight when you stand up. Allow your shoulders
to fall back and keep your head in a neutral position with your eyes facing
forward and don't tuck your chin. Years ago, good deportment was taught by
walking across a room with a book balanced on your head - it could be fun to
try and see if you can pull this off.
2. Sit with support
Sofas are great for resting, but once we hit the cushions at the end of
a long day in the office, we tend to slump and slouch and bend our spine into
positions it shouldn't go. Sitting with support is a great way to correct this
problem. For your office chair, you can consider a rolled-up bath towel placed
along the curved portion of your lower back for lumbar support. When chilling
on your sofa, why not look at a Husband Pillow at
husbandpillow.com, which is shaped and contoured to provide the correct level
of support as you sit up. The less you slouch, the less pain you will get from
your back.
3. Mind your neck
Most people have a mobile phone in their hand for a great proportion of
the day. However, the constant action of looking down can create neck pain,
which radiates right down to the base of your spine. It is a natural position
to look down at your phone, but you should try and avoid doing so for prolonged
periods. Instead, try and get into the habit of holding your phone up more in
front of your face so that you are looking ahead and not unnaturally craning
your neck down.
4. Start your day with yoga
Yoga, Pilates, or any of the exercises that are based on stretching and
posture are perfect for ensuring that you spend your days walking tall a
sitting straight. Gentle yoga is the ideal way to start your morning, and you
can even begin with some bed-based yoga exercises before moving to the floor
for a more comprehensive routine. There are plenty of resources
online to help you learn yoga, and many teachers are using
the Internet to hold virtual classes during the pandemic when physical classes
are not available. You should also try and remember to get up and stretch at
least every hour when you are sat at a desk working.
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