Understanding your posture

Having good posture is important to your health. Many adults have poor posture, but relatively few adults have a good understanding of how important good posture is. Here are some important facts about posture that you should know.

Posture is the way that you hold your body while you sit, stand, or lie down. If you have good posture, the different parts of your body will be aligned correctly and supported by your muscles. You wouldn’t be able to sit or stand if you didn’t have muscles to help to keep everything aligned.

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You are able to maintain your posture subconsciously. Your muscles do what they need to do automatically without you needing to think about it. Several different groups of muscles are critical for helping you to maintain good posture, including the large muscles of your back and your hamstrings. These muscles help to keep gravity from pushing you over and help to maintain your balance while you move.

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Not an athlete? It still pays to have good balance. Just walking across the floor or down the street requires good balance. So do rising from a chair, going up and down stairs and even turning to look behind you.

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Poor posture isn't necessarily a bad habit, either. Physical reasons for poor posture include:

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• Inflexible muscles that decrease range of motion (how far a joint can move in any direction). For example, overly tight, shortened hip flexor muscles tug your upper body forward and disrupt your posture. Overly tight chest muscles can pull your shoulders forward.

• Muscle strength affects balance in a number of ways. The "core muscles" of the back, side, pelvis, and buttocks form a sturdy central link between your upper and lower body. Weak core muscles encourage slumping, which tips your body forward and thus off balance. Strong lower leg muscles also help keep you steady when standing.

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The good news: You can improve your posture with a few simple exercises. Balance-specific workouts address posture and balance problems with exercises that build strength where it counts and stretches that loosen tight muscles. Quick posture checks in the mirror before and during balance exercises can also help you get the most from your regular workout. And increasing your core strength and flexibility can help you improve your posture noticeably in just a few weeks.

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Good posture means:

• chin parallel to the floor

• shoulders even (roll your shoulders up, back, and down to help achieve this)

• neutral spine (no flexing or arching to overemphasize the curve in your lower back)

• arms at your sides with elbows straight and even

• abdominal muscles braced

• hips even

• knees even and pointing straight ahead

• body weight distributed evenly on both feet.

When sitting down, keep your chin parallel to the floor; your shoulders, hips, and knees at even heights; and your knees and feet pointing straight ahead.

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Postural Exercises

8 best posture correction exercises to improve your posture and relieve pain

• Shoulder Blade Squeeze    (In standing, clasp your hands together behind your back squeezing your shoulder blades together)

• Chin tuck    (In seated, tuck your chin towards your neck whilst looking straight ahead)

• Chest Stretch   (In standing, interlace your fingers behind your back, push chest out and take a deep breath)

• Cat / camel   (On all fours, arch and hollow your back in a continuous rhythmic motion)

• Plank   (In a push up position, hold your weight on your forearms which are flat to the ground)

• Glute bridge   (lying on your back with hips flexed to 45 degrees, raise your pelvis off the floor)

• Wall Angels   (Standing with your back to a wall, move your arms up and down in a snow angel motion)

• Seated twist   (Seated on the floor, one leg crossed over, twist the upper body to the side of the raised leg and hold)

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See exercises & stretches page for demonstrations of the above exercises. Hold each stretch for 5-10 seconds, 10-15 repetitions.

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Is it too late to save your posture?

Even if your posture has been a problem for years, it's possible to make improvements.

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Rounded shoulders and a hunched stance may seem like they're set in stone by the time we reach a certain age, and you may feel you've missed the boat for better posture. But there's a good chance you can still stand up taller.

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Poor posture often stems from modern-day habits like working in front of a computer, slouching on a couch while watching TV, or looking down at a smartphone. Poor posture could also be due to many hours spent carrying heavy objects (like equipment at work, grocery bags, or a heavy purse).

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All of these activities can make you stoop or bring your shoulders forward. This overstretches and weakens the muscles in the back of your shoulders, and shortens the muscles in the front of your shoulders and in your chest. Gravity then pulls the muscles forward, because the muscles are too weak to pull them back up.

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If the core muscles in your back and abdomen have grown weak from inactivity, that can also cause you to lean forward. Those muscles are crucial to lifting your frame and keeping you upright.

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Tips to stand taller

The key to fixing poor posture is strengthening and stretching the muscles in the upper back, chest, and core.

Shoulder strengtheners include scapula squeezes (squeezing your shoulder blades together for 30 seconds at a time) and rows (using a resistance band to pull back your elbows like you're rowing).

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Core strengtheners include modified planks (in which you hold a push-up position while propped up on your elbows) or simply tightening your abdominal muscles, pulling your navel in toward your spine.

An easy way to stretch your chest muscles: simply put your arms behind your back, grasp both elbows (or forearms if that's as far as you can reach), and hold the position.

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You'll also have to work on your posture in everyday activities. A simple trick when you're sitting (even watching TV): Put a rolled towel behind your shoulders. It makes you sit up straight so the towel won't fall.

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Cut down on activities that have led to poor posture, too. Take breaks from computer and TV time, and exercise more. In six to 12 weeks, you'll see an improvement in your posture.

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Work desk ergonomics

How to stop slouching and improve your posture

With record numbers of us working from home, postural issues and back pain are becoming more and more common. A lack of awareness of what good posture looks like and working long hours with inadequate equipment has led to many of us prioritising short-term relief over our long-term health.

It doesn’t take long for slouching and poor posture to manifest into severe back pain either. Cramping in the shoulders, and stiffness in the neck are all too common in desk and office workers.

Concerned about your own workspace? Keep reading for advice, tips, and tricks on how best to arrange and sit at your home or office setup.

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What does good desk posture look like?

Good posture means you are maintaining the three important natural curvature points in your back. These are the bend in at the neck, the curve out between the shoulder blades and the curve in at the base (lumbar region) of the spine.

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If you suffer with chronic pain and work at a desk, seeking professional help can help you find relief.

The right way to set up your desk

Sitting at a desk on an ergonomic office chair is the best way to work, whether you work from home or in an office.

1. Make sure your bum is as far back in your chair as it can be. This engages the lumbar section of the spine and enforces that natural curvature that we want to preserve throughout the day

2. Raise or lower your chair so your hips are slightly higher than your knees. This simple adjustment helps take pressure off your joints

3. If your chair has a lumbar support, ensure this engages the small of your spine. Having this useful tool positioned further up your back may do more harm than good

4. Lower the twin armrests right down and slide yourself under your desk, ensure your eyes are around an arm’s length away from your computer screens

5. Position your keyboard so the “g” key is in line with the centre of your body, and ensure that any accessories you regularly use are easy to access on your desk

6. Lastly, make sure the top of your monitor setup is at eye level. This stops you craning your neck whilst you work.

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What equipment can help?

A good work setup can always be improved.

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See below for a few accessories and bits of equipment that can help improve your spinal health at home or in the office.

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• A good quality office chair: an ergonomic chair that can be adjusted at multiple points is ideal. This allows you to make micro adjustments to the height of the seated platform and the attached armrests

• Detachable lumbar support: a strap on lumbar support is invaluable if you require extra support in the area. These can be attached and removed using Velcro or a strap depending on the model

• Wear a back support if necessary: eliminating bad postural habits can be difficult. Wearing a back support or brace subconsciously helps keep your shoulders back and your spine curved in the right places

• Level screens: if you work with twin screens, ensure they are of equal height and evenly positioned across your desk. Even a small difference in screen height and position can lead to neck pain over time

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How regularly should I take breaks away from my desk?

Even if you sit with perfect posture, getting up and moving at least once every 30 minutes prevents the onset of stiffness and fatigue.

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Walking around the office or taking a break to stretch helps improve circulation and also gives your eyes a break from staring at your computer screen

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