Nowadays, it seems like bad posture is more common than good posture, probably due to the time we spend sitting at our desks. I am not suggesting that you go out and get a new job or anything, just try to be more aware of how you are sitting!
When we sit with our shoulders hunched or rounded forward, not only do we look unattractive, we can cause some serious health problems. When we are hunched our chest collapses, which restricts our breathing, not a good thing. Hunching also causes forward head posture, dysfunction in the shoulder joint and eventually severe neck and back pain. As our chest muscle become shorter and tighter, our back muscles continue to lengthen and weaken. The more we sit with poor posture, the more more work it takes to sit up straight!
Make sure you desk is set up properly at work and at home. There are plenty of resources out there to help with this, some might even be in your own workplace! Use post it notes, pictures, whatever you can think of, to remind you of your perfect posture goals. Try sitting on an exercise ball instead of a chair for a few minutes a day in order to get familiar with what proper sitting posture feels like. There are some other posture braces and gadgets on the market that can force you into the ideal position. Try to get up from your desk every 30 minutes to stretch and walk around a little bit. Make good posture part of your workout routine too! Strengthening the back and lateral rotators of the shoulder can improve posture, along with stretching out the chest muscles and keeping our core good and strong.
Try to be aware of other times you hunch your shoulders, driving, playing the piano, out in the cold, etc. So many activities in today’s society can lead us to hunched shoulders, but we can change this if we are aware and a little diligent with it! Massage therapy can get us on the right track to proper posture. A massage therapist can assess your posture, lengthen the shortened muscles and educate you on the appropriate strengthening exercises to help bring the shoulders back!
Please contact Forces of Nature to book your massage therapy appointment today! www.forcesofnature.ca or (416) 481-0222
Sit up straight. Your back will thank you!