Top ways to improve your posture guide, Health tips, Human back arch advice
Top Ways to Improve Your Posture
15 Feb 2021
Having proper posture is not only a matter of health but of aesthetics too. There are many things linking correct posture to our physical and mental wellbeing, and to good health in general. Knowing this, it is a shame that so many people don’t see the warning signs of their back hurting more and more when they get out of bed or out of a chair, not to mention not being able to do some feats of strength like a cartwheel, that require good posture to be executed correctly.
The human back is naturally much more adapted to walking on four limbs, and we really do see that the majority of four-legged animals, that have a similar spine as ours, have virtually no back problems whatsoever. Standing up and remaining in that relatively unstable position has left us with a lasting problem that requires active care throughout our whole life. But seeing how appliances and light exercises do not need to be a burden to anyone we can safely say it is just a matter of habit keeping us away from an excellent posture.
What is Correct Posture?
A correct posture may differ to some degrees between people, or even in the same person, though it generally follows the same outline and has to achieve the same effect, both when being calm and when in motion. While sitting or standing up straight you should maintain the three distinctive curves in your spine, that is, the upper, middle, and lower curves. The head must be above the shoulders and the shoulders above the hips when being static. In terms of being dynamic – the body will naturally lean forward when running but a similar spinal line must be kept only now tilted forward for a few degrees, which allows for a comfortable position.
Passively Improving the Back Arch
With the corona crisis well underway and with many of us locked down indoors, we are left with far fewer options for exercise than before. No group training, sometimes not even allowed to go out for a run. But fixing your posture doesn’t necessarily have to be a vigilant activity, as sitting correctly and not slouching is already a sort of exercise for it.
Because we spend so much time sitting or lying down it is of utmost importance that proper posture is maintained, otherwise, our back will hurt as soon as we get up or even while we’re still static. Using a back rest pillow in these cases is the easiest option as they do not require any other special equipment besides it, such as anatomically constructed chairs, memory foam mattresses, etc. When looking for a pillow to suit such a need, pay notice to how hard the filling is. Feathers and very soft sponges are no good as they do not retain their shape at all, instead, it is better to opt for some that have a bit of toughness to them when pressed by the hand.
Beneficial Exercises
Even when closed inside there are some exercises that can do wonders for your posture that you can do by yourself. They do not take a long time to complete and most of them do not even make you break a sweat, so you usually do not even need to get into any special training clothes.
Stretching
When sitting or standing for long periods of time muscles tend to become stiff and need to be relaxed and stretched from time to time. Stretching is, therefore, a natural thing to do even when not thinking about improving posture but certain stretches are more important than others, just raising and expanding your arms will not do the trick.
You should start from the trapezius stretch, by slowly drawing your right ear to your right shoulder and vice-versa. Next, bend your head in the same manner now trying to point the nose to your armpit, first one side then the other. The last basic stretch should be moving the shoulder blades back while puffing out the chest, with your palms facing upwards.
All of these should be done for 20-30 seconds at ease and repeated three or four times a day.
Yoga
These ancient ritualistic exercises are a great way for anyone to correct their posture and overall wellbeing, as it engages the entire body and forces you to keep your balance in very difficult positions. The bow and the bridge pose are great upper and lower body exercises and do a fantastic job of stretching the back and putting it in its place.
With a straight back and your chin held up high you will not only look your best but will also feel better about yourself, so don’t shy away from these easy options and you will be doing yourself a great favor.
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