A Guide To Fixing Your Posture
A bad posture can cause all sorts of health issues. Follow the tips mentioned below to know how to fix your posture.
A good posture is not only needed for health benefits but it also is a key factor in determining your productivity at work. Whether you are sitting or standing, doing either with proper posture will go a long way in fighting fatigue and not putting unnecessary strain on the body’s muscles and ligaments. Realizing that you have a posture that isn’t doing you good and realizing that you need to work on fixing your posture is the first and foremost necessary step in breaking out of bad habits. If you can fix your posture, your spine will thank you. It will reduce stress and strain on the spine and help you be better in almost all aspects of life. Below we will discuss some strategies to fix your posture.
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Know your center
You should be able to find your center just by changing how you walk. You should always be aiming to walk with straight and tall posture. This applies to even just standing. Don’t slouch when walking or standing. The way to do this is to make sure that your shoulders are back, your stomach is in and your chin is level with the ground. The arms should be allowed to fall in a natural manner. The feet should be apart by the length of the shoulder width. If you work out, make sure you do so in this posture.
A helpful tip in achieving this posture is visualization. You should picture yourself standing tall with something like a string dropping from the ceiling and it is pulling you upwards. The lower back should be kept inline and you should be aware of never moving on tiptoes.
Use any wall to learn proper posture
Any wall or even a door can be used to achieve this. When teaching yourself correct posture it may be a good idea to have your back be against a door or wall to practice standing with proper posture. The wall should be touched with the back of your butt, shoulders and head. The heels of the feet should be at a distance of about 2 to 4 inches from the wall. If you are not sure that you are doing it properly, check to see if you can slide your hand behind your lower back but not by too much, just a bit. If you find that there is more space or your hand is able to slide very easily then you need to pull your stomach in.
Once you are done with practicing the correct posture against a wall, try holding the same posture and if you are unsure if you are doing it correctly or not, just check with the wall again. When you are away from the wall you should quite simply try to hold your head back, have your chin tucked in and you should also be aiming to pull the abdominals in. If you do this you will soon notice a difference in your posture. The other parts of the body will be more aligned to a good posture.
Tape your back with an x
Using tape on your back that is shaped like an X can really help with correcting your posture. The X should stretch from the shoulder to the hips. You should then add a straight line of tape across the shoulders that will cover the top of the X. If you wear this during the day, it will help you retrain your body to keep the correct posture.
When applying the tape you try to make sure that the posture you are holding during the application of the tape is correct. It would be prudent to use tape that is meant for the human skin such as medical tapes.
If tape is too basic for you, you may want to consider getting a posture corrector.
Weight on the balls of the feet
If you are resting on the heels of your feet, your body’s natural tendency would be to slouch. You should always aim not to slouch as this is the exact opposite of a good posture. Try standing up straight so the weight of your body is shifted a bit forward. After this, try rocking back so that the weight of your body falls on the heels of your feet.
Imagine there is a book balanced on your head
This is a general piece of advice handed out to people with bad posture by physicians. The idea is to imagine that there is a book balanced on your head when walking. This method and simple trick will help keep your head up and also will straighten your back. If the process of imagination is tough for you maybe use a real book for a while to get the hang of it.
The act of walking with good posture is very simply just an extension of standing with proper posture. Head up, chest out, shoulders back with eyes pointed straight forward. That is what you should aim for.
Proper footwear
The choice of footwear can greatly impact your posture be it while standing or while walking. When choosing footwear you should aim at getting one that has the necessary padding in it that will help you to hold yourself in an upright position. The footwear should also have excellent arch support. The important thing to remember here is that good posture starts with the feet.
Footwear with high heels should be avoided as much as possible as it messes with the body’s alignment. If your daily life requires standing for prolonged periods of time, you may want to consider adding padding to the floor. This will provide additional comfort to you.
Having a good posture is an important part of staying healthy. Not only are the health benefits numerous and extensive, it will have a significant impact on other major areas of life as well.
