Many of our mothers told us to stand up straight and keep our posture in line when we were younger. However, it’s becoming harder and harder to maintain proper posture into adulthood. Now that we’re stuck inside sitting at home, we’re losing the motivation to take care of our spines.
How can we practice good posture in our daily lives, and how can a chiropractor help you with your posture?
There are many different ways that we can work towards improving our posture. Here’s how you can better your posture and start helping your spine.
Why is Good Posture Important?
You may wonder to yourself why maintaining good posture is important for your overall health. The truth is that poor posture can affect more than the way you look. Poor posture can take a toll on many of your body’s crucial functions.
If you suffer from poor posture, your digestive system can suffer. Constantly crouching or leaning over impacts the internal organs in your abdomen, such as your stomach and intestines. This makes it more difficult for your body to properly digest and process food.
Poor posture can also affect your muscle and joint functions. Improper posture causes unnecessary strain on your joints and muscles, which can wear down those joints over time.
How to Practice Good Posture
Now that you understand why good posture is important, you’ll need to know how you can practice good posture. Here are some tips to help you keep your posture proper during your daily life.
Be Aware at All Times
Your first step towards bettering your posture is to become aware of how you sit, stand, and sleep. Pay attention to how you position yourself; if you start to notice yourself slouching or bending forward too much, you should try to correct yourself right away.
Practice good posture regularly so that you can more easily recognize poor posture in yourself. This will help you remain aware of your body when performing daily activities.
Use Good Posture When Seated
In order to maintain your posture when seated, you should follow a few simple steps. Firstly, your feet should be placed firmly on the ground. Avoid crossing your legs as well.
Make sure that your seating provides adequate support for your spine. You may have to search for a chair that works well for you, as everyone’s spines have slightly different shapes and sizes. Try to keep yourself from slouching or leaning forward while seated.
You should make sure to take breaks from sitting frequently so that your spine can stretch out and relax. Walking or standing for ten minutes every hour is ideal.
Improve Your Posture While You Sleep
Your mattress and pillows should be firm enough to support your spine and neck, though not so firm that they cause discomfort. These will be your greatest ally or enemy when it comes to keeping proper posture while you sleep.
It’s best to avoid sleeping on your stomach; this position can negatively affect your spine. It’s best to sleep on your side or back in order to keep your spine healthy.
Some people find that sleeping with a pillow below or between their legs can help with any feelings of discomfort. It can provide additional support and take the weight off of the spine.
Improve Your Posture While Standing or Walking
When it comes to standing properly, think about your spine as a string running from your head to your feet. Imagine someone gently tugging on the string and bringing you perfectly upright; this is how your body should feel at all times to maintain proper posture.
Keep your spine in a neutral position. Keep your shoulders back and shift your weight if you stand for long periods of time.
How a Chiropractor Can Help
If you start to notice that your back hurts or you notice kinks in your posture, you may want to consider visiting a chiropractor for help. They can provide many services to get rid of back pain and move you towards healthier living.
Hands-On Approach When Studying Your Posture
Your chiropractor can take a hands-on approach and study your posture first-hand. This means that they can tell you exactly how your spine is misaligned and help you move towards fixing it. By feeling along your spine, they can take note of the exact regions that need repair and have the knowledge and skills to fix it.
Readjust and Align Your Spine
Once the route of the problem has been determined, a chiropractor can readjust and align your spine to alleviate pain. You may need more than one visit to feel the full effects of the adjustment, but your pain should disappear in no time!
Help You Create Goals to Improve Your Posture
Once you’ve finished your sessions, your chiropractor can help you learn new techniques and exercises you can use to practice good posture and take care of your spine. They can create an exact plan with you so that when you’re back home again, you can take care of yourself.
Take Care of Your Spine
Taking care of your spine is important to your overall physical health. Without proper posture, you can find yourself experiencing some serious health issues, such as poor mobility and spinal deformities. If you’re ever in doubt about your posture or your spine’s health, you can speak with a chiropractor for help.
Are you suffering from severe back pain and don’t know what you can do?
We’re here to help. Contact us with any questions or concerns you have about our chiropractic services and continue reading our blog for more helpful information.
