Practicing good posture is integral to proper spine alignment and can help strengthen core muscles. We all know how important it is to sit tall, but it’s so easy to get a little too comfortable and sink down into a slouch.
I’ve found that as soon as I start talking about posture, I immediately see my patients start sitting up straighter and practice their best posture skills. I can bet that many of you who are reading this are starting to sit a little straighter than you did before!
Here are five simple tips to improve your posture, and maintaining it long after you’ve finished reading this post.
1. Sit tall, but relaxed: As you straighten up, be sure not to overextend your back. To maintain the position, your back should be straight, with your shoulders and knees relaxed. Attempting to overarch the back can be just as bad as slouching!
2. Work those abs: Keep your core engaged as you adjust your posture. Keeping your abs pulled in tight as you sit at a computer is one way to strengthen core muscles, which can help reduce minor back pain!
3. Raise your screen: As you sit at your computer, do you feel yourself hunching forward towards the screen? Screen height can be an issue when using laptop and desktop computers. Try raising the monitor closer to eye level or elevating your laptop to reduce the need to hunch.
4. Walk it out: Give yourself 5-10 minutes each hour to walk around and move your body. Sitting for too long can lead to slouching. Moving around during the day can help keep posture on your mind!
5. Get support: If your chair at the office isn’t adjustable, try finding one that can change heights to suit your needs. Stability balls are also a great way to work your core and keep your spine straight during a long work day!
With these five tips, you’ll be sitting up straighter and walking taller in no time! Plus, check out these great exercises that target muscles to improve posture.