Back to work – Posture Tips

Back to Work – Posture Tips

1. Sit tall, not straight. One of the simplest ways of keeping your spine in the correct position is to think of sitting tall rather than sitting straight When trying to sit straight we often overuse some of the bigger – and less postural – muscles of the back. By consciously thinking about lifting the back of your upwards from your shoulders, the spine falls into line. Start by holding this position for 2 minutes, and increase a minute each day until you can hold comfortably 20 minutes. By keeping our back in this position, it allows those muscles to adequately support our weight. While it may take some getting use to, your back will thank you for it!

2. Buy a laptop stand. The problem with laptops is that they force you to look downwards. This causes poor neck position, and over activity of many of the neck muscles, leading to tension and pain, along with the potential to develop RSI, and other postural related shoulder and arm problems. BY using a wireless keyboard and good laptop stand many of these problems simply disappear. We use them at the clinic, so feel free to drop in and take a look.

3. Stand up: By standing up for only 60 seconds, you will give your postural muscles a much deserved break, give your eyes a rest, and allow your spine to realign. Aim to do this every 30-40 mins.

4. Don’t use your mobile device for longer than you have to. Let’s face it, we all use our phones and iPads too often. For many it’s the last thing they look at before bed and the first thing they look at when they wake up. Not only does this contribute to reduced sleep quality, and increased anxiety and stress, it’s well documented that excessive use of mobile devices is affecting relationships…..but hang on, we’re not here as psychologists! Excessive mobile use also gives you a sore neck. Don’t you think it’s time to cut down?

5. Slouch! Yes you read that correctly. While important to spend most of our work time sitting “correctly” – as in Tip 1 – even more important is to vary our posture on a regular basis. Our body is designed to move, and yes it is designed to slouch, arch, and twist. If you’re sitting all day you should spend small amounts of time – just a minute or two – doing all of these things to break up longer stretches of sitting. It takes the strain out of your ligaments, tendons and muscles..