Simple ways to fix your posture
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Admit, probably like most people, you use every opportunity to slouch. It is simply more comfortable than standing upright, but it’s a posture no-no. You should stand upright not only because you will look better, but you will also avoid health problems. If your job requires sitting or incorrect body positions, you should stick to the following tips and fix your posture:
Sleep right
You probably thought the first advice would be - get up and get moving. On the contrary, the first piece of advice concerns sleep. To correct your posture, make sure to sleep right. Place the pillow under your head, not your shoulders. Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees can ease pressure on your hips and improve your posture.Don't slouch
Slouching and slumping are comfortable but can cause muscle tension, as well as back pain, joint pain, and reduced circulation. Moreover, poor posture can even lead to breathing issues and fatigue! But why do we naturally slouch?
Our spine has natural curves to resist load on the spine in an upright, weight-bearing position. Of course that it is ok to slouch for a few minutes, but slouching for 5 hours can lead to serious issues.
Sit in a correct position
It must have happened to you that your parents warned you to sit or stand upright when you were little. This is because improper sitting can damage your spine and lead to pain in your shoulders or neck. What is the correct sitting position? The angle of your seat back should be a little greater than a perpendicular 90 degrees.
Also, sitting upright with both feet on the floor and avoiding crossing of legs may reduce the effect of sitting on your posture. No matter how long you sit, try to get up and stretch every half hour.
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Avoid wearing high heels often
High heels are irresistible, but they have a bad effect on our health. Long-term use of high heels can lead to a deformity called Haglund's, which is a bony enlargement on the back of the heel typically referred to as “pump bump“.
High heels may be fashionable yes, but they are also a posture no. Wearing high heels is pushing your spine forward, which over-arches your back and puts pressure on nerves, which causes back pain. Therefore, avoid wearing high heels daily.
Use the best posture gadgets
Sitting for more than 8 hours a day can lead to serious neck pain and postural issues such as disc damage or strained neck. If you feel pain in your neck while sitting in front of a computer at your work desk, it means you need to improve your posture as soon as possible to avoid future potential spinal problems.
The Upright Go 2 is a personal posture trainer which is said to reduce 50% sustainable severe back pain. This powerful device works with medical-grade silicone hypoallergenic-made adhesives that go directly on your skin without leaving marks. The GO 2 will immediately start to vibrate once you slouch! It works along with the Upright App, where you can build your personalized training plans, follow your daily progress, and check your daily Upright score. There is a Trainer feature, with 3 options available – Stationary, Standard, and Active.
These options are designed to better fit your daily activities. Due to long sitting hours or working overtime and experiencing back pain, tiredness, fatigue, and stress, it appeared that using GO 2 on the workstation gave the best results. According to 3 different studies conducted at San Francisco University, wearing the Upright GO 2 device is associated with positive health outcomes. Hurry up and check out our winter subscription box and get this amazing gadget stat!
Pay attention to your posture while using your phone
Sitting at a computer during working hours is not the most common cause of bad posture today, as well as other problems like neck pain. It's all actually happening more because of the cell phone. When texting or checking social media, we tend to look down and angle our heads to an unnatural position. This causes slumped shoulders and a painful neck. To avoid this, lift the phone so you can look up and not down. Take a break to stretch your neck or avoid watching long-format content on your phone.Keep your feet flat on the ground while sitting
Sitting properly is very important for a good posture. If you have a correct sitting posture you may avoid potential spine or neck issues. It is natural to feel best when our feet touch the floor while sitting. It’s because the support through your feet helps to stabilize your lower back. So, make sure you keep your feet flat on the ground while sitting.
Do Yoga
If you want to strengthen your core and fix your posture, try yoga. Yoga can be beneficial for anyone seeking to improve posture and body flexibility. Yoga exercises are something you can do in just a few minutes and do a lot for your spine and body. For example, doing the pose “heart bench” can help you to fix your posture. You can try this pose before bed, or after a long car ride. And it takes only 5 minutes!
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Keep a good posture while driving
Sure, all people like it when they drive a car in a relaxed position or bend forward, but that is by no means good for posture. But what is the right driving posture? Instead of sitting lazily, pull your seat closer to the steering wheel. The angle of your seatback should be a little greater than a perpendicular 90 degrees.
Leaning too far back forces you to push your head and neck forward, and may cause neck and shoulder pain. You can also improve your posture by adjusting your mirrors or supporting your back with a cushion.