In most of our adult lives, we spend countless hours hunched over our desks and staring down at our phones. This is a silent epidemic of poor posture creeping in as we age. It hosts surprising health issues that you’ve never even considered. With that, correcting them immediately is needed before it gets worse. Today, we’re bringing in the 9 daily habits to improve your posture.
9. Drink More Water to De-compress Your Spine
We all know that hydration is important, but surprisingly, it can also impact your posture. Your spinal discs, located in your vertebrae, serve as the natural shock absorbers and are composed of about 80% water. Once you get dehydrated, the discs lose their height and begin to cushion. This can lead to the feeling of stiffness, pain, and poor posture. By staying hydrated, you maintain your disc height and flexibility, allowing you to stand taller.
8. Breathe Into Your Belly to Sit Taller
If you notice that you’re slouching due to hours spent at your desk, then try belly breathing. You see, shallow chest breathing is common with stressed individuals, as it can cause your shoulders to round forward and your head to just jut out. Practicing belly breathing can reverse it as it engages your diaphragm. With that, it encourages an upright posture as it reduces tension in your neck and shoulders.
7. Fix Your “Tech Neck” by Looking Up
Your smartphone is messing with your neck. Did you know that when every inch your head juts forward from a neutral position, it adds 10 pounds of force in your cervical spine? Yes, when you’re always in the typical head-forward posture while using your phone equates to a 60-pound weight hanging off your neck. That’s the tech neck for you that causes pain and restricts breathing, eventually leading to spinal damage.
6. Sleep on Your Back for a Spinal Reset
Yup, you spend a third of your life in bed, which impacts your posture. Sleeping on your stomach is actually the worst position for your spine, as it forces your neck to be in a rotated position. It also flattens the natural curve of your lower back. The best position, you ask? Sleep on your back with a pillow that supports under your knees. This relieves pressure and allows your muscles to relax and recover.
5. Perform “Wall Angels” Daily
This exercise will combat rounded shoulders from sitting at your desk all day. To perform this, stand with your back against a wall and your feet six inches away. Keep your head, upper back, and buttocks in contact with the wall. After, raise your arms to shoulder height and bend your elbows to 90 degrees. Press your forearms and the backs of your hands against a wall. With that, slowly slide your arms up and down the wall as if you’re making a snow angel. Do this for 10-15 reps daily to strengthen your upper back and open your chest.
4. Engage Your Core Like You’re Zipping Up Jeans
You don’t actually need hundreds of crunches for a strong core to improve your posture. Do this simple and effective cue as if you’re zipping your high-waisted jeans. This naturally pulls your belly button towards your spine. Do this throughout the day, whether you’re sitting, standing, or walking, to build your endurance.
3. Master the Chin Tuck
The chin tuck exercise corrects your forward head posture. It strengthens the muscles in your front neck and stretches those in the back. To do this, sit or stand tall and gently guide your chin back as if you’re making a double chin without tilting your head up and down. Feel a gentle stretch from the base of your skull and hold it for 5 seconds. Repeat this 10 more times.
2. Set Up an Ergonomic Workstation
When working at a desk, make sure you properly create an ergonomic workstation. Make your monitor at eye level so you don’t have to look down. Also, ensure that your chair supports the natural curve of your lower back and that your feet are flat on the floor with your knees at a 90-degree angle. The keyboard and mouse should be positioned so that your elbows are also at a 90-degree angle with your wrists straight.
1. Move Every 30 Minutes
Even if you have the perfect ergonomic setup, sitting for prolonged periods can harm your posture since your body is designed to move. Just set a timer to remind yourself to get up and move every 30 minutes. Taking a short walk and some gentle stretches will do. This will prevent your muscles from being stiff and weak.