Improve your posture in 6 simple steps

The word posture refers to the way the body aligns itself, with the neck, arms, legs and torso in their natural positions, giving us a streamlined appearance and ensuring that the spine remains in a neutral position without curvature. As a result, our bodies are more balanced and proportionate, allowing us to breathe effectively, improve circulation and we place minimal stress on joints, organs and muscles. Posture, or postural dysfunction occurs when our spine is placed in unnatural positions such as slouching over a computer for long periods of time and results in increased pressure on joints, tissues, muscles and the vertebrae.

Causes of bad posture

Bad posture has several causes depending on the type of lifestyle a person leads. The following are the factors that contribute the most to postural dysfunction:

1. A sedentary life with little or no exercise
2. Jobs that require you to sit in one place for a long time or demand that you hunch over your workstation in order to complete your tasks.
3. Carrying extra weight on your torso or abdomen.
4. Poor footwear including extremely high heels as well as tight and uncomfortable clothing.
5. Poor dietary habits and especially consuming a diet that is deficient in calcium and vitamins which may lead to weakening or curvature of the spine.

Symptoms

The following are the symptoms you are likely to encounter if you have bad posture:

• Pain in the lower back, between your shoulder blades, neck, arms and torso.
• Fatigue and general feelings of lethargy.
• Rounding of the shoulders or cases where the shoulders are misaligned.
• One limb, such as the leg appearing shorter than the others

If bad posture is not treated, it can lead to degenerative spinal diseases such as scoliosis and osteoporosis.

Improve your posture in 6 simple steps

If bad posture is not treated, it can lead to degenerative spinal diseases such as scoliosis and osteoporosis. The following steps can help you to improve your posture, and avoid the critical effects of postural dysfunction.

1. Use shapewear: shapewear is made up of highly elastic and firm material that is designed to compress areas of your body and give you a firmer looking silhouette. As a result, your back and abdomen receive better support, allowing you to stand up straighter, and reduce slouching and other bad habits that contribute to bad posture. Further, companies are increasingly creating shapewear with features such as criss cross straps across the back and corset inserts that cater directly to people with bad posture.
2. Incorporate exercises such as Pilates and yoga that work on your core strengths and strengthen your abdominal muscles so that you are better able to support your back.
3. Pick the right sleeping position such as sleeping on your back with a pillow between your knees, or on your side with slightly bent knees.
4. Employ the services of a qualified masseur for both regular and deep tissue massage.
5. Perform spine strengthening exercises at least twice a day; in the morning as soon as you wake up and at night just before you go to sleep.
6. If your work involves sitting at a desk for hours, liaise with your boss to develop ergonomic solutions to fix and prevent posture problems.
7. Find out which part of your body is exhibiting poor posture problems such as a shortened leg or curving spine and research the right exercises to correct such conditions.

Poor posture can result in much more serious conditions if not treated or managed well. By employing a few simple strategies, you can reverse adverse effects of poor posture and improve your posture for good.