Parents and teachers always tell children to keep their back straight. How many times have you heard it yourself?
Poor body posture can actually weaken you back and core muscles over time and lead to back pain. It’s actually quite common for people who sit in front of a computer or behind the wheel for long amounts of time. Excess weight, texting, stress and pregnancy are also factors that can contribute to bad posture.
Why You Should Sit And Stand Straight
Poor posture can make back pain caused by stress and weak muscles flare up. It also places strain on your back, core, shoulders and legs which can increase tension and pain.
As the American Physical Therapy Association warns: “Good posture is also good prevention. If you have poor posture, your bones are not properly aligned, and your muscles, joints, and ligaments take more strain than nature intended. Faulty posture may cause you fatigue, muscular strain, and, in later stages, pain.”
It’s not too late to correct your posture, though!
Physiotherapist and back expert Nick Sinfield told the National Health Institute: “Correcting your posture may feel awkward at first because your body has become so used to sitting and standing in a particular way. You need to retrain your body to sit and stand correctly, this can improve your body awareness and confidence that your back is a strong resilient structure.”
“Initially, this may require a bit of conscious effort and some strengthening and flexibility exercises to correct muscle imbalances. But with a bit of practice, good posture will become second nature and be one step to helping your back in the long term.”
One Exercise To Correct Your Posture
Lie down on your stomach with your face down toward the floor. Gently lift your torso off the ground. Lift as high as is comfortable. Keep your arms at your sides or outward. Do it ten times, holding it for about 5 seconds each time.