10 Steps To Improve Your Posture
In the recent decades, millions and billions of people have been reporting cases of extreme backaches, neck pain, spondylosis, arthritis and several other health issues that have devastating effects on their daily life. Most of these illnesses are caused due to a bad posture. Although there are several reasons why people may develop a wrong posture, one of the most important causes of such a ‘calamity’ is the sedentary lifestyle of the modern times. People keep on sitting in one place for long hours, and in a wrong position. This subjects the spine to excessive stress which later results in unendurable pain. Hence, it is always good to maintain a good posture. Find in this article 10 simple steps that will lead to the correct posture.
1. Sit straight
The first and foremost move towards a correct posture is practicing the art of sitting straight. This may definitely sound simple. But, this is not the case. Try this for a moment and you’ll realize what it means. Sit up straight, your back erect and shoulders tucked behind. Your feet should rest on the floor. Your hips and knees should be at a 90 degree angle. Hold on for 5 minutes. Seems difficult right? You tend to feel a pressure when you do such a thing. This is because your body was never trained to or has lost the habit of sitting straight. With practice, however, you will attain a right posture. This regimen works wonders for people with backache and spine problems. This is because they spend much of their time sitting in one place. It’s easy to follow. However, also ensure, you take regular breaks like getting up for at least a minute every hour to give your spine the much needed rest.
2. Stand erect
Standing erect is one more axiom that has been taught to you since you were a kid. As years went by, you forgot this axiom and landed in a bad posture due to your wrong ways. It’s time to get back to that old habit and make it a practice to stand erect. When you stand in a place, your legs should be slightly apart and your back should be upright. When you walk, you should make sure you do not lean forward like an ape.
3. Check the alignment
This one is an equally important point to note. You must always see to it that your body is aligned well. Just as it is necessary to keep all the parts of your car in proper alignment, same is the case with your body. A simple way to keep a check on your alignment is by leaning against a wall. This will give you the right posture and teach you to maintain it.
4. Use a lumber roll
When you sit straight, your upper body is supposed to lean behind. As a result of this, you may find your lower back getting strained. Hence, you must always use a lumber roll or a rolled towel to give your back its perfect curve, without hurting it. All you need to do is place it near the curve and attach the roll to your chair. This way, you will get into the habit of sitting straight, while relaxing your back.
5. Sleep on your back
Just as an 8-hour sleep is vital for a healthy body, sleeping in the right position is vital for a healthy spine. You must always sleep on your back with a pillow underneath your head. Do not allow the pillow to reach your neck or use more than one pillow while sleeping. When you use a pillow under your head, you facilitate the natural curve near your neck and relax the muscles of the cervical curve. You may also use a lumber roll near your lower back or below your knees to relax the muscles of your back or legs. Secondly, if in case, you prefer sleeping on the sides, you must always make sure that you have a pillow between your knees. When there is an absence of a pillow, one knee tends to go up, near the chest. This is very harmful for your spine and aggravates pain in the long run.
