So why the fuss about good posture? Well posture reflects our ability to move, breathe and rest in balance. Ideal posture allows for movement in the most efficient manner while utilising the least amount of energy. Healthy posture is not just about your muscles and
joints, it also helps your vital organs maintain their appropriate position so they can function at peak efficiency. A healthy posture also supports normal function of the nervous system and ultimately allows your body to express its optimal health potential.

Because we know poor posture can lead to excessive strain on our muscles, joints and organs, it makes sense that good posture goes a long way toward helping your body function at it best. Optimum health cannot exist without good posture.

If you follow the advice below, but still feel discomfort and pain related to specific activities, we recommend you visit your chiropractor for a thorough spinal check-up and postural evaluation.
Ultimately posture is controlled by your nervous system. Your brain and central nervous system not only controls your posture, it controls every basic function in the human body. For your body to work, move and exercise at its best, the messages your brain and central nervous system are sending to your body need to get there uninhibited. If something gets in the way of these messages, none of these posture tips will be of any use to you, as you won’t be able to do anything at your best. A chiropractors sole job in life is to assess and correct any disturbances in the communication of messages coming from the brain to the body. If you try all of the above and still struggle with your posture, you probably need to be assessed by a chiropractor to see if you have a communication problem with your nervous system.

Self-awareness
Like everything else our first step is to draw our attention to what our posture is like currently. Stand in front of the mirror with your feet shoulder width apart (clothes off can make this easier to see). Check if your shoulders and hips are level from left to right. Is one
higher then the other? Does your nose look to be in line with your belly button? Is your head straight or tilted slightly?
To do a side on analysis you will need someone to help assess you (depending on who does this for you, clothes on may be more appropriate here). Does the centre of your ear sit over your shoulder, hip, knee and ankle? Are your shoulders and arms rounded forward or do your arms rest easily by your sides?

Poor postural habits can result in fatigue, tight, achy muscles and joint pain and stiffness. So there is a chance you may already be affected by poor postural habits if you commonly experience these types of problems. If any of these issues are a regular experience for you, then it’s time to pay more attention to your posture and potentially get a chiropractor to thoroughly assess your posture and overall spinal function.

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Perfect posture
Poor posture can increase the risk for “wear and tear” or degenerative osteoarthritis in weight bearing joints, particularly the spine. We all know that when you drive a car with poor wheel alignment, the tyres tend to wear down faster and unevenly. Improving your postural alignment will help prevent or at least delay any premature “wear and tear”.

Here are some strategies to help prevent poor posture in everyday situations:

When standing – hold your head high, eyes looking to the horizon with your chin up, shoulders back, chest out, and stomach tucked in to increase your balance. A good visual is imagining a string coming out of the top of your head being drawn upward. If you stand all day in a job, alternate resting one foot on a stool and be sure to take breaks to get off your feet for a while.

When sitting – start with a chair that has firm lower back support. Make sure that your desk or table top is at elbow height, adjust the chair or use a footrest to keep pressure off the back of the legs, and keep your knees a little higher than your hips. Ultimately if you sit for long periods throughout the day, even with good posture, you should aim to break from the chair regularly. Get up, stretch, walk and reset (void sitting on your wallet or with personal items in your pocket, it can cause hip imbalances).

When working on a computer – it is recommended that you take a one or two minute task break every 20 minutes when you work at a computer screen. Keep the screen approximately 15 degrees below eye level (roughly 10cm’s).
Place reference materials on a copy stand even with or close to the screen. In the perfect world, anyone who uses a computer regularly would have a variable height desk, allowing you to shift easily between standing and seated postures.

When using other devices – The trick is to avoid your head being flexed forward for prolonged periods of time. Holding a smart phone or touch pad in front of your face instead of in front of your chest is ideal. This means your arm muscles will fatigue before your back and neck muscles do. Lying on your stomach with your chest up, forearms supporting your upper body and a device in front of you is a better place to be if you are using a device for an extended period of time. As is the theme throughout, managing your time carefully when using technology, and taking regular breaks is the best way to prevent poor postural issues occurring.

When sitting in the car – adjust the seat forward so your knees are higher than your hips. It can be a good idea to keep a small pillow or cushion handy on longer trips to support the small of your back. Set the rear and side view mirrors up while in good posture. As you are traveling you may notice your posture has slipped as it may be harder to look into the mirrors. Again, taking regular breaks from the car seat on longer trips is recommended, even if it’s pulling over to the side of the road and walking around the car a couple of times.

When sleeping – sleep on your side with your knees slightly bent and head supported bya pillow which allows your head to be level with the midline of your spine. Or, sleep on your back, avoiding thick pillows under your head. Use a small pillow under your neck
instead. Although sleeping habits can be hard to train yourself out of, it is always best to avoid sleeping on your stomach as this can create excess strain on your neck and upper back joints. If you are a back pain sufferer and struggle to get comfortable while sleeping it can help to sleep with a small pillow in between your knees when on your side, or behind your knees and lower leg when lying on your back.

When lifting – let your legs do the work in order to prevent injury to your lower back. Stand close to the object, then where possible squat down and straddle it. Grasp the object firmly, pull your belly button in towards your spine to engage your core muscles and slowly lift the load by straightening your legs as you stand up. Carry the object close to your body.

When bending – always avoid twisting and bending forward at the waist at the same time. To lift or reach for something on the floor, bend the knees while keeping the back straight. If you follow these practices, but still feel discomfort and pain related to specific activities, we recommend you visit your chiropractor for a thorough spinal check-up and postural evaluation.

Stretch and Strengthen your posture
IMPORTANT: if you have any serious increase in pain or you experience sharp or shooting pain during or after doing an activity stop and seek advice from your chiropractor or other health professional.
First thing to do is improve the joint and soft tissue range of motion. Minimising restriction in joints and muscles allows them to move more fluidly. Correcting mobility issues must be done first before doing exercises.
Each of these stretches will be performed for both sides of your body. For each stretch move to maximum range of motion and hold for a minimum of 15 seconds. Make sure you continue breathing with a relaxed face while stretching.

Neck lateral flexion.
Pull your left arm down and across your back while literally flexing your head to the right. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat on opposite side.

Neck rotation.
Rotate head to one side as far as possible and hold for 15 seconds. Repeat on other side.

Neck extension.
Extend head back as far as possible and hold for 15 seconds

Neck Flexion.
Flexing head as far forward as possible and hold for 15 seconds.

Once everything is moving better it is then important to strengthen muscles that may have atrophied as a result of unhealthy movement patterns, but also activate and reestablish co-ordination in any muscles that have become over or under-active due to misuse or poor postures. For both of these exercises the objective is to pull the shoulder blades back together as much as possible and hold for 15 seconds. Inhale while relaxing, exhale while contracting and holding. Keep your thumbs pointed back! These are best done standing.

Hold arms and the Y-shaped pattern above your head like so, thumbs pointing back.

Hold your arms in the L-shaped pattern to your sides like so, thumbs pointing back.