Many of us have poor posture. Our head is too forward, our upper back & shoulders rounded. Overtime this can lead to issues like neck pain, back pain & even headaches. It is even associated with breathing difficulties. Try this simple exercise: round the shoulders forward and jut out your head & then take a deep breath. Now repeat, but this time sit up straight, pull the shoulders back, glide the head back & press the chest forward. See how you can instantly breathe better when sitting up straighter. If we want to look, move & feel our best we need good posture. We can start improving our posture by understanding proper sitting, standing, and sleeping positions. And correcting these will start you on the path to better health.
Ideal standing posture
When looking at a person from the side we should see the head over their shoulders. A plumb line should run from the ear through the shoulder, hip and outside ankle bone (lateral malleolus). For every inch forward the head moves, this results in about 10lbs of added weight on the neck. As the head moves forward it pulls and strains the neck muscles. It also adds strain to the low back muscles by moving our head farther away from our center of gravity.
When looking straight at someone, the spine should be in a straight line & the shoulders/hips level. If one hip is lower, this can lead to structural imbalances along the spine. These imbalances can potentially lead to knee, shoulder, back & neck pain. We want to strive for symmetry to feel our best.
Ideal sitting posture
When we sit, we should be all the way back in the chair utilizing its lumbar (low back) support. It is important to use a chair that has a lumbar support feature. The seat cushion should be accommodating for our thigh length. If it is not, you should use a low back support cushion to move you forward so the knees can easily bend at the front of the chair. The chair height should be adjustable. Ideally, we want our thigh and leg at just above a 90-degree angle when seated. Armrests should be adjustable & set at a height where the forearms can gently rest. This will keep the shoulders relaxed. If sitting in front of a computer, the monitor should be about an arm’s length away with the top of the screen near eye level.
Ideal Sleep position
With back sleeping, lay on the back with the neck supported by a pillow and the head almost resting on the mattress. A support cushion placed under the knees will take pressure off the low back. When side sleeping, I recommend putting a pillow between the knees to take pressure off the hips. This coupled with a pillow to support the head staying level will keep the hips and spine in an aligned position. I do not recommend sleeping on your stomach and overtime this sleep position can lead to discomfort.
By understanding and applying the above information, we can better our posture. If you find that trying to make these corrections is difficult and maybe even uncomfortable, don’t worry, that is to be expected. Remember, we are making changes to potentially years of bad habits. And these poor habits can lead to joint discomfort and spinal misalignments. Below are helpful exercises and stretches. I do encourage you to first have the spine evaluated for structural issues. To get the most benefit out of any exercise routine, I recommend that areas of misalignment are corrected to restore proper joint motion.
Stretches for better posture:
These Muscles are typically tight with prolonged poor posture and need to be stretched: scalenes, SCM, Levator scapula, upper trapezius. pectoralis, lumbar paraspinals, hip flexors & hamstrings. Below are a few videos demonstrating how to stretch some of these muscles.
Exercises to improve posture:
These muscles are typically weak with prolonged poor posture and need to be strengthened: postural muscles of the neck, middle trapezius, rhomboids, buttock muscles and the rotator cuff muscles (that’s right, many people have shoulder pain because of weak back muscles and poor posture).
***stop if any of the exercises/stretches cause pain. Or if you are unsure that you are performing them correctly. It is important that these are done the correct way to get the most benefit.