Sponsored by Relax The Back
About 60-80% of adults in the U.S. experience back pain at some point; it’s the second most common reason for doctor visits, and one of the top three reasons people miss work. In most cases, these aches and pains are a definite case of “you are what you repeatedly do.”
Excellence may be a habit, but chronic back pain can be caused by one bad habit in particular: poor posture.
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Your posture is how you hold yourself all day while sitting or standing, and poor posture puts unnecessary stress on your spine and surrounding joints and muscles. This repetitive negative impact causes imbalances and pressure that lead to tightness in your back— and in your neck and shoulders, too.
On the flip side, good posture has many selling points other than preventing and alleviating back pain: it optimizes breathing which increases mental alertness, can reduce headaches and lower cortisol, and makes you feel more confident and appear more capable to others.
So stand up straight and tall, just like Mom always said! Here are some tips to improve your posture:
- Learn what good posture feels like. Your spine shouldn’t be stiffly straight; a healthy back does have some natural curve to it. Stand up against a wall and take note of the positioning of your back, neck and head. Chest forward, shoulders back! (Check out this post if you could use a visual.)
- Form good sitting habits at work. Do frequent posture checks— no hunching over your laptop! Keep screens at eye level so you’re not always looking down. Try not to cradle the phone between your shoulder and ear. Keep legs uncrossed and feet on the floor or on a raised footrest. There are many products that can make your workstation more ergonomic; drop by your local Relax The Back store to get an ergonomic office assessment from one of their trained neck-and-spine experts.
- Work on balance and core. Strengthening these will help support your spine. Here are some moves to try.
- Be smart about smartphone use. Spend a lot of time texting, reading, or watching videos on your phone? Be mindful of how you’re holding your head and shoulders.
- Move move move! Stave off the “sitting disease,” which has been labeled as the new smoking: set alarms as reminders to stretch if need be, or invest in a standing desk. Yoga and dance are especially good for helping you to note your posture, but any formal exercise program will emphasize awareness and form.
If back pain is acute, you should definitely seek out medical attention; there may be other underlying causes. But with any luck mindfully improving your posture will alleviate any nagging pains— and nagging from Mom, too.
Giveaway!
Relax The Back wants to help you help your back: enter below for your chance to win a self-inflating back rest! One of Relax The Back’s most popular back support products, the Self-Inflating Back Rest provides lumbar support at work, at home or on the go: use it at ballgames, restaurants, during your commute, wherever you need it. It’s easily adjusted with the twist of a valve, giving you full control over the level of inflation, and can be deflated and rolled up for easy storage.
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