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The Tremendous Power Of Posture You Need Every Day

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The health of your spine is not independent of posture. In today’s more cerebral society, most of us are employed for our brains and not our brawn. Unfortunately, most of these jobs come with the tragedy of a computer, desk and a chair. And so, we go to work and sit, and sit, then we go home and sit some more. You probably sit more than 10 hours every day. Not only is it impossible to have good posture while sitting for a prolonged period of time, but sitting also puts added pressure on your spinal discs, ligaments and nerves, which contribute to further wear-and-tear.

Why is good posture so important?

Good posture contributes to a range of health benefits. Good sitting and standing posture entails keeping your spine in optimal alignment with your ears over the shoulders and shoulders over your hips. When the bones of your spine are aligned properly, the weight of your head and torso are evenly distributed through the vertebral bones and discs which decreases their risk of injury. Also the small and large muscles that support your spine are relaxed and ready to fire when you need to move. When you sit, you muscles constantly work hard and eventually fatigue, which research has demonstrated increases your risk of a back injury and chronic back pain.

What can I do to improve my posture?

You can improve your posture and decrease your risk of back pain and injury by doing some very simple activities.

  • Imagery. Think of a straight line passing through your body from the ceiling to the floor (your ears, shoulders, hips and knees should line up vertically). Now imagine that a strong cord attached to your breastbone is pulling your chest and rib cage upward, making you taller. Try to hold your pelvis level and don’t allow the lower back to sway. Think of stretching your head toward the ceiling, increasing the space between your rib cage and pelvis. Picture yourself as a ballerina or ice skater rather than a soldier at attention.
  • Shoulder blade squeeze. Sit up straight in a chair with your hands resting on your thighs. Keep your shoulders down and your chin level. Slowly draw your shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for a count of five then relax. Repeat five times.
  • Upper-body stretch. Stand facing a corner with your arms raised, hands flat against the walls, elbows at shoulder height. Place one foot ahead of the other. Bending your forward knee, exhale as you lean your body toward the corner. Keep your back straight and your chest and head up. You should feel a stretch across the front of your chest. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. Relax and repeat five times.
  • Arm-across-chest stretch. Raise your right arm to shoulder level in front of you and bend the arm at the elbow, keeping the forearm parallel to the floor. Grasp the right elbow with your left hand and gently pull it across your chest so that you feel a stretch in the right upper arm and shoulder. Hold for 20 seconds then relax both arms. Repeat on the other side. Repeat five times on each side.

I do not have a lot of time to do exercise, what else can I do?

Trade in your standard sitting desk for an adjustable height standing desk. This gives you the opportunity to stand at your desk and increase your mobility during the day. Remember to break up your standing with periodic sitting breaks for lunch or meetings. If you have to sit at your desk, you can improve your comfort, work performance and reduce your risk of musculoskeletal injury with frequent 1-2 minute micro-breaks every 20-30 minutes or a 5 minute break every hour. Remember you cannot sit or stand all day long, so remember to take breaks throughout the day. The goal is to keep your muscles active as research has shown that prolonged sitting causes your muscles to lose their coordination and in severe cases can shut down the muscles all together. By keeping your muscles active throughout the day they are ready to support your activities and they also allow you to burn more calories keeping your weight under control as well.

Will poor posture during certain activities increase my risk of injury?

Activities that may result in injury when done with poor posture include weight training, carrying a heavy item or bag, which some have called, “poshitis”; using your mobile phone with your head hanging forward referred to as “text neck”; sitting with your legs crossed or slouching in your chair; and cradling the phone between your head and shoulder. It is important to think about your posture when doing these activities repeatedly or think of other ways to accomplish the task without using poor biomechanics such as a taking frequent breaks, using a standing desk mentioned previously or by asking for assistance.

Resources:

“Common Posture Mistakes and Fixes.” – Live Well. Web. 01 Feb. 2015. <http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Backpain/Pages/back-pain-and-common-posture-mistakes.aspx>.

Nachemson, Alf L. “The Lumbar Spine An Orthopaedic Challenge.” Spine 1.1 (1976): 59-71. Print.

“New Releases.” 4 Ways to Turn Good Posture into Less Back Pain. Web. 18 Jan. 2015. <http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/4-ways-to-turn-good-posture-into-less-back-pain>.

“Pilates and Back Pain – Part 1.” Experience Pilates. 21 May 2012. Web. 18 Jan. 2015. <https://experiencepilates.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/pilates-and-back-pain-part-1/>.

Exercise and Stretching You Need To Live In Your World

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Exercise Where will it take you web

How can exercise improve my health?

If exercise was a pill it would be a guaranteed best seller with few side effects. We know that exercise has multiple health benefits and plays an important role in successful aging. Some of the many benefits of exercise are that it will:

  • Optimize cardiovascular function by strengthening heart muscle
  • Raise levels of “good cholesterol” (HDL) and lower levels of “bad cholesterol” (LDL)
  • Promote bone health and combat osteoarthritis by improving joint mobility and muscle strength
  • Strengthen the immune system
  • Improve cognitive function, sleep and decrease anxiety and depression

How much exercise do I need?

Aim for at least 2.5 hours of moderate exercise (where you can talk but do not have the breath to sing) per week. This translates into about 20-30 minutes, 5-7 days per week. Be sure to incorporate interval training which stresses and hence builds muscles more effectively. Always start slow and gradually build up your exercise routine to minimize the risk of injury. If you are older or have a serious medical condition, remember to consult your physician before starting any exercise regimen.

What is the least amount of exercise I can do to get significant health benefits?

The amount of exercise you need for health benefits is much less than you may think. A large study on exercise and mortality found something researchers did not expect, that running for as little as five minutes a day could significantly lower your risk of premature death (Lee D.C. et. al., 2014). So no matter how busy you are, we are sure you can fit in five minutes a day of vigorous exercise, such as running, jump-roping or pedaling vigorously on a stationary bike. Consider simple things in your daily routine such as running for the bus or walking up several flights of stairs while at work. Over the long-term even brief amounts of exercise may add years to your life.

A single session of simple static stretching can result in short-term cardiovascular benefits as well. When you stretch, your brain releases compounds that not only relax your skeletal muscles but also relax the small muscles in the walls of your blood vessels (Farinatti et al., 2011). This results in their dilation, which can lower your blood pressure.

Resources:

Brukner, Peter, Karim Khan, and Peter Brukner. Brukner & Khan’s Clinical Sports Medicine. Sydney: McGraw-Hill, 2012.

Farinatti, Paulo Tv, Carolina Brandão, Pedro Ps Soares, and Antonio Fa Duarte. “Acute Effects of Stretching Exercise on the Heart Rate Variability in Subjects With Low Flexibility Levels.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25.6 (2011): 1579-585.

Lee DC, Pate RR, Lavie CJ, Sui X, Church TS, Blair SN. Leisure-Time Running Reduces All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality Risk. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2014; 64 (5): 472-481.