Posture or ergonomics refer to the position of our body when we walk, sit, or stand. The average position of our body influences this over time. Sitting in front of a computer for hours, time spent pressing our phones, the position of the body, and our way of walking all contribute to our posture and ergonomics. Maintaining a bad posture due to any activity will affect our posture and ergonomics, even a balanced posture will make us feel uncomfortable with time.
A better posture is very important to our health as an unhealthy posture or maintaining a good posture for hours can cause back and neck pain with the added deformity in posture.
Thankfully, it’s not hard to develop a better posture. Cultivating simple habits like wearing protective lenses while in front of the computer and sitting on a comfortable ergonomic chair can help solve the problem of a bad posture. We take a look at ten easy ways of improving our posture and ergonomics.
- Identify the Cause of Back Ache or Bad Posture
Bad posture is characterized by back pain and pain in weight carrying joints like the knee, ankle, and waist. When we feel pain in these areas, it is essential to take accounts of activities done in the last hours that can contribute to it. Daily activities like driving and sitting in the office chair can be harmful to these joints, and identifying the cause is a prerequisite to finding solutions. Also, know the posture or ergonomics responsible for your pain.
- Stand Up and Move
Sitting in a fixed position is the major cause of posture or ergonomics problem. Sitting for a prolonged period can cause problems and a slouch. It has been advised for those whose job requires sitting in a position for hours to stand up every 30 minutes to move and stretch the body to maintain a healthy posture.
3.Use Posture-friendly Accessories and Ergonomic Chairs
- Change your sit to ergonomic office chairs for better posture.
- Lumbar supports and footrests can be used when sitting in the office.
- A towel or a pillow can make your driving more comfortable.
- Neck supports can be used when you are flying to remote
- Portable bags, purse, and a backpack that will put little or no burden on the body is a necessary ergonomics accessory.
- Glasses are designed to improve the interface with your computer are available, and they help reduce the pain that is caused by straining our eyes and stretching our back when using the computer systems.
- Regular Exercise
Health benefits of regular exercise are profound. Exercises as simple as swimming and walking can help improve your body posture. It also provides strengthening of the muscle and can improve muscle adaptation and resistance to different postures.
5.Make Standing more Comfortable
Just like sitting, standing for an extended period may affect body posture. People whose job require them to stand for a long time are advised to wear comfortable shoes and comfortable accessories when applicable. Avoiding tight-fitting shoes or high heels as well as using a footrest or foot mat will do you a lot of good if you regularly stand for long hours.
- Maintain a Good Posture while Walking
It is not only sitting and standing that shapes our posture. Every movement from the way we walk, the use of your cellphones, and sleeping can affect your posture. Being conscious of our body posture and our movements will help in shaping our posture.
7. Avoid Text-Neck
Most people are guilty of straining their neck towards their phone when they receive a text message or a mail. As painless as it may seem, the majority of us are used to pressing our phone all day, which means straining our neck and back all day. The effects of these strains on one’s posture over months and even years can be devastating. Stay conscious of this and bring your phone towards your face next time you get a message rather than straining your neck to do so.
- Sleep Properly
Sleeping properly is significant when treating bad posture or trying to maintain a good one. Sleep is an everyday activity that takes several hours every day, with a bad sleeping posture comes back pains, fatigue, and a dull and lethargic day at work or in school. Change a sleeping posture that causes you pain, make your bed very comfortable and cool, support your back and neck with a pillow and discontinue any posture or thing that makes your night restless and comfortable.
9.Set Good Posture as a Goal
We make thousands of movements every day making it difficult to be conscious of one’s posture and ergonomics. Making it a goal to achieve and setting reminders and notifications can help achieve this as follows:
- Place a note on your desk or around your work station reminding you of good posture.
- Set the screensaver of your phone to good posture or a picture of it.
- Setting alarms to wake you in the hours you are most susceptible to slouching away to sleep and bad posture.
- You should change your furniture to ergonomics friendly furniture both at home and work.
Anything that will remind you to keep good posture every 30 minutes of the day will go along way to improving your posture.
10.See a Chiropractor
Doctor of chiropractic medicine (DC) are physicians that diagnose and treat diseases of the musculoskeletal and nervous system. The chiropractor uses the physical and nonsurgical approach in diagnosing and treating diseases of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Patients are directed to appropriate health centers when diagnosis shows the disease cannot be treated using chiropractic approach.
The body is subjected to many movements and positions every day that can tell on our body’s posture and ergonomics. The way we sleep, sitting for hours at work, starring at computer systems and pressing our phones can cause pain to the body if we are not conscious of it. Staying conscious and making movements and posture adjustment when necessary, getting ergonomics friendly furniture and accessories and regular exercise will help maintain a better body posture. When all the precautions and adjustments have been made, and the pain and bad posture still persist, seeing specialist doctors known as a chiropractor is recommended.
