Top 4 Tips For Improving Posture

If physiotherapists tackle postural issues in the present, we're less interested in forcing people to straight backs that resemble the military style and more interested in introducing movements into our daily lives.
Indeed, numerous research studies and our personal experiences in the clinic have demonstrated that there is no single ideal posture. However, there are physical effects of settling in certain postures for too long or exposing the body to unbalanced weights and repetitive motions.
That means you won't see "sit straight" in the current posture guidelines. Instead, physiotherapists concentrate on habits in the daily routine that could lead to cause major issues in the long run. Here are my top 4 posture suggestions for improving your posture.

In time, an unbalanced weight distribution throughout your body could cause muscle imbalances and biomechanical and postural problems because the structures on the body's one side are stronger or weaker.

One of the main ways people can imbalance their bodies is by their choice of bag. A backpack loaded with laptops or other devices, books, chargers, and other essentials for everyday use might not appear to place much stress on your body at first. Still, with time, even minor imbalances can add to a lot, not just due to the direct weight but the way they impact your movements.

Backpacks are a better option for posture because they distribute the burden evenly over both shoulders while helping to pull your shoulders back. This could benefit those with desk jobs that leave them with shoulders that slop forward.

With good reason, the office job that lasts for 40 hours or more is the subject of much of the blame for postural issues. However, we can spend more hours in a week asleep in bed, which could have just as much of an effect on our health and postural wellbeing.

When you lie on your stomach is a good example. It flattens the curves of your spine. This can cause lower back pain and shoulder discomfort. Wearing special sleep vests or inserting a tennis ball inside the pocket in front of a reversed shirt can help you sleep correctly.

If pillows aren't firm enough, you can suffer neck pain because of the lack of support as you rest and then tilting your neck for many hours. You must offer enough support to ensure that your neck stays aligned with your spine when you lay down.

Whether you're at your table or standing, standing at a desk for long periods of time is poor for your posture. Even if you're not moving or running around, it doesn't mean you can't think of ways to incorporate the more active aspects of your daily routine.

You can perform pelvic tilts while you are standing or sitting and shoulder cross-stretches or wiggle around in the chair to stay a small amount active. It might not sound like much; however, it is extremely helpful in keeping soreness and stiffness at bay.
Pay attention to your shoulders and hips, as they are the two areas that are often affected by prolonged standing or sitting.

Whether we'd like to or not, we all spend most of our time looking at screens, from smartphones to laptops, to multi-monitor desktops. It's easy to lose sight of how your neck is placed when immersed in your work. In addition, even the fittest and healthy people suffer from an aching neck after spending a long time in front of a computer screen.

Ensure that you keep your screen at eye level to ease neck strain. This is a challenge on laptops with a tense keyboard and screen, and if you need to sit for long hours at your desk, I recommend an office desk that allows you to move the screen at any height you would like.
If you're working with a multi-monitor setup, instead of turning your head to view across the screen, move your entire body. It's not just bringing additional movement to your routine but will help relieve the stress of repetitive motions between screens.

If you're feeling affected by poor posture or want advice on introducing more movement into your life, contact us at info@physio-medicine.co.uk or020 7837 0586. Visit our website www.physiomedicine.co.uk