5 Tips for Maintaining Good Posture

Good posture doesn't just look good; it is crucial in maintaining physical health and is very often than a key part of physiotherapy treatment. Think about it: when you are spending ALL of your time in a poor position, sooner or later something will breakdown! It is part of why we as physiotherapists spend time just looking at your positioning and why we have coined phrases like "forward head posture" "anterior pelvic tilt" or "anterior humeral shift" to be used when diagnosing and treating orthopaedic conditions. Without doing a specific postural assessment, here are some easy tips for maintaining good posture:

1. Desk Stretches. One way to get frequent breaks and to stop poor posture is to do desk stretches on a regular basis. Squeezing your shoulder blades together and moving your ear to your shoulder and holding for 30 seconds are two examples of good neck stretches.
2. Frequent Breaks. Prolonged sitting is often a cause of poor posture. We are just not meant to sit for 8 hours a day so frequent breaks are a must!
3. Core and Upper Back Strengthening. These muscles help hold you in proper posture, so keeping them strong is a must.
4. Stretches. Over time some muscles can become tightened and hold you in a poor posture. Two common muscles that become tightened are the pectoral muscles and hip flexors, so give them a daily stretch.
5. Fitness Maintenance. Overall fitness will help your sense of well being, work your rib cage and improve overall posture
6. Relaxation Techniques. Posture can be worsened during stress - shoulders start to rise and bodies start to slump! Throw a yoga class or some simple breathing exercises into your routine and you will help alleviate some of that stress.

Physiotherapists are trained to assess and work towards correcting poor posture. If you have a painful condition that you think might be related to poor posture contact us!

As always thanks for reading. Rebecca 

Photos courtesy of google images.