Posture is essential for healthy life & attractive looks. Bad posture is typically caused by worn out shoes, sitting on a chair which is too high or too low, feelings of stress and anxiety, obesity, hunching over to get closer to the computer screen, genetics, accidents or injuries, a mattress that doesn’t support the back, foot problems, low self-esteem or poor waist support during sitting. Here is how to improve your posture.
Sitting:
- Keep your head straight without tilting it down or up.
- Make sure your shoulders don’t fall forward and make sure they remain loose and not tense.
- Make sure your knees are lower than your thighs and avoid crossing your legs (this also damages the blood flow in your legs).
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and avoid pushing them under your chair.
- Don’t try to keep your back flat as you sit – let the chair you sit on support your back.
- Avoid working in front of the computer screen without proper arm-support. The most important thing is to provide wrist support, so you can purchase support pads for your keyboard or mouse.
Standing:
- Keep your back and shoulders aligned and don’t try to push your chest forward – keep it perpendicular to the ground.
- Bend your knees slightly to reduce pressure on your hips and back.
- Wear shoes that provide appropriate support for your feet, knees, and back. Don’t wear high heels if you know you’ll have to stand for a long time with them on.
- Don’t stand in the same position for too long. Move your body every few minutes and move your weight around.
Walking:
- Keep your chin parallel to the ground and avoid hunching your shoulders and looking down at your feet. Instead, just look straight.
- Keep your stomach and buttocks aligned with the rest of your body.
- At each step, touch the ground first with the heel, and only with your toes. Don’t drag your feet on the floor.
Running:
- Keep your head up and look forward, not down at your feet.
- Avoid bending your shoulders or waist and keep your hands relaxed and your elbows flexed at 90 degrees.
- Do not lift your knees too high. Run in a way that feels natural to you, and not in a way that you feel will improve the use of your leg muscles.
- At each step, touch the ground first with the middle part of the foot, and only then put your toes down.
Sleeping:
- Change to a hard mattress that provides support for your back.
- Use as few pillows as possible, avoiding a pile of pillows that cause the neck to bend unnaturally.
- Stretch before bedtime to soothe stressed muscles that may affect your sleeping position.
- Do not sleep on your stomach, as this may put pressure on your spine. Instead, sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs or on your back with a pillow under your knees. Doing this will support your hips and keep them in line with your spine.