STANDING POSTURE

STANDING POSTURE

The way you stand and hold yourself makes a big difference not only on  your look but also on the way you feel

Poor posture puts your spine under unnecessary strain, in context to back pain.

Usually “poor posture” is generally used to mean slack posture, but an excessively rigid posture can also be bad for your back. This may lead to an increase in tension of muscles and may even cause difficulty in breathing.

Your back is more vulnerable to injuries and back pain because of extra stress that is put on back muscles, ligaments, discs, and spinal joints due to poor posture.

GOOD POSTURE

When standing, you should keep your body symmetrical: It should be correctly aligned, equally on both side-to-side and back-to-front as shown in the below image.

Wear and tear of the body are minimized by correct posture as it imposes less stress on the spine. The core of good posture is awareness of fitness.

Strengthening exercises and stretching your muscles, maintaining core stability, and taking care of your body when still or moving will also help to maintain good posture.

You can stay mentally and emotionally balanced, and can avoid tensing your muscles and improve your posture with a proper fitness regime.

If your posture is good, you are less likely to suffer from back pain as posture has a direct impact on joints and muscles. 

Try to attain a balanced upright posture, with your body weight equally distributed from front to back.

HOW TO CORRECT A BAD POSTURE

If your shoulders and neck are aching, relax these muscles and avoid hunching or tensing.

Overweight increases the stress on your spine because it causes your pelvis to tilt forward unnaturally and moves your center of gravity farther forward. Due to this, your back muscles have to work harder, which increases the compression in your lower back. Hence it is important to lose weight and strengthen your core muscles.

Instead of struggling to stick to a diet, do more exercise, by walking or cycling to work rather than driving. As your weight starts to decrease, your posture will improve.

Not to be tempted to use a corset—as it is no substitute for exercise.

If you are pregnant then the baby’s extra weight will put an additional load on your spine, so good posture is imperative. Try to keep your abdomen pulled in to reduce your lower back curvature and pull in your buttocks to keep your center of gravity is over your hips.

When standing avoid locking your knees as it can increase the amount of curvature in your lower back which can lead to lower back pain.

Foot and ankle irregularities may also lead to poor posture, but it may be corrected with orthotics.

Avoid wearing high heels, it can increase the curve of your spine and cause back pain.