Friday, August 28, 2015

5 Tips to Great Posture

Not that I have great posture... yet. But, I've been going to the chiropractor often for a few weeks now have been told that nothing will help me more than getting into a habit of maintaining a good posture.

But when you've been a sloucher for years, how do you do that?

1. Helium Balloons
   The first thing I was told to do (by my doctor, when he caught me slouching) was to pretend there were 3 helium balloons tied to me. One tied to the top of my head, one to my nose and one to my bellybutton. If you just imagined this happening to you, you probably sat tall with your nose pointing straight out and you pushed your belly out and created the natural curve in your spine (that slouching eliminates).

2. Make Bed Angels
  I used to do all sorts of stretches every morning by bending side to side on the floor, putting one leg on top of a dresser while reaching to the other on the floor. While these were my imagined 'wake up' stretches in my early 20s, I would probably tip over or pull something if I tried that now. One exercise which I still do and that feels amazing is to make snow angels... in bed. I imagine you could do this on the floor as well, but I like waking up the muscles along my spine while waking up the rest of. Less likely to hit the snooze button! Plus, who doesn't love taking over the bed, in an act of rebellion against your spouse :)

3. Uncross Legs
  I read somewhere that while it might be ladylike to sit with crossed legs, that it can actually misalign your posture. On my first doctors appointment (ever, yep. I'm a recent convert) he found my right leg was 1.5 inches shorter than my left (and my left was doing most of the work)! The best way to sit in a chair is to have your ankles directly underneath your knees, and an inch or so between your knees and the end of your seat.

4. Ears Over Shoulders
   Another easy to remember trick is make sure your ears are over your shoulders. Not your collarbone or your chest. This is the quickest way to remember that good posture includes your neck as well as your back!

5. Use Props
   There are lots of reasons why you might still have to lean forward or sit awkwardly at work. Raise or lower your work screen/monitor to sit at eye level. Raise or lower your chair to the best position for you. And if still find yourself slouching forward, consider a footrest or portable lumbar back support that you can affix to your office chair. At the very least, it will remind you to lean back and keep that good posture going, even when hard at work!


So tell me...
What have you done to improve your posture?
Do you have certain habits that you always find yourself doing?
Have you ever visited a chiropractor, or had a doctor tell you how to improve your posture?


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14 comments:

  1. that's a bad habit i have - about crossing my legs

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    1. Me too- and I am never comfortable with them crossed, which makes it even more ridiculous when I do it later again. I usually compromise and cross the ankles in front of me instead :)

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  2. Farin, my grandmother had wonderful posture, and she always told me to walk like I had a book balanced on my head!

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    1. The old benchmark! I only ever think of the book-on-the-head tip for those who are walking. Always seemed like more of a way to teach someone to walk without swaying or you'd knock it off- and I am still horrible at that :)

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  3. I'm married to one of those chiropractors. He's awesome...and I have the worst posture. Bless him. It's not his fault. I slouched way before I met him.

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    1. I wish I was married to a chiropractor. I asked mine if his family always asked to be adjusted, and he said all his brothers are chiropractors, so they tend to take care of their own immediate family only :) I've horrible slouching tendencies too, but postit notes on my work monitor and tools like a footrest remind me to straighten back up!

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  4. I actually can't sit with my feet flat on the ground under my knees. I end up in serious pain, and my back tends to end up injured when I do that (I'm weird, I know). I do slouch sometimes, but for the most part, I have okay posture. My parents were always hammering us on that growing up, so it's just one of those things I got used to

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    1. It's amazing how we are all designed so differently- but as long as it isn't hurting your back or pelvis (like I was!) then that's great! My brother had a severe growth spurt growing up and developed a curved back because he slouched so much. I heard the posture lecture a lot as a result as well :)

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  5. Great advice! My mom used to always yell at me for slouching. I especially like the helium balloon mental reminder.

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    1. I know, the minute he told me it I sat up straight in the office. Such a visual cue!

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  6. Great tips! I was highly posture-conscious while I was pregnant with twins, but over the last year I have let that slide.

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    1. Yes! I'm still trying to be concious about standing and walking with a growing belly. It really does make you walk off-centered, and without your normal balance it hurts!

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  7. Its so hard to NOT cross my legs when I sit!! But at least I'm more aware when I do - with a herniated disc and sciatica I am always looking for tips for better posture. You've given some great ones to try!

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  8. Oh dear, no wonder my posture is so bad! I've been crossing my legs for years, all the time! No matter if I'm sitting in a chair, on the floor, or in bed! I use them as prop tables! lol.

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