Posture and Your Well-being - How Well Do You Hold Up?

The start of a new year is always a good time to make resolutions. But as you’re looking ahead to the goals you want to accomplish, how much time are you actually spending looking down?

Chances are, a lot, if most of your day is spent hunched over a computer or desk, or busily talking on a smartphone, head down and hanging forward, pulling on your neck, shoulders and spine. This disregard of your posture is leading you into a condition known as “tech neck.” You’re probably not thinking much about your posture until you begin to feel the tension in your neck and shoulders after a long day.

What exactly is posture and why is it so important?

Posture basically refers to how you carry yourself. How you position your body when sitting, standing, walking around or doing other activities can impact that sense of how you feel about yourself and influence other people’s perceptions of you. 

Good posture involves having your head, neck, shoulders and spine in proper alignment, minimizing discomfort in your body and the risk of injury. 

Good posture “centers you, reducing trip and fall risks,” said retired nurse Marmie Schuster-Walker. She said it is important to pay attention to your posture when walking and that as you strike the ground with your feet, to do so with a “heel to toe” gait.

Good posture can give you an air of confidence or the appearance of being taller. Most importantly, you’re also creating space for your internal organs to function properly without being compressed. 

The average adult human head weighs around 10 or 12 pounds. When you’re at the computer all day, and your head, neck and shoulders aren’t in proper alignment, that forward movement of the head at a 45-degree angle can actually put undue stress and strain on the neck, shoulders and spine and cause pain. 

https://utswmed.org/medblog/tech-neck-pain-treatments/

“The worst thing is ‘you will grow where you go,’ according to personal trainer Judi Boone. “That means over time, this can make your tech neck condition permanent,” she said. “If you continue with poor posture, you will end up with poor posture that cannot be corrected,” Boone added. 

Essentrics® is a great way to reclaim and keep your good posture. The goal is to rebalance the body and unlock the joints without the use of heavy weights. Certain standing and floor exercises help improve posture. Here are some examples.

Open Chest Swan

The Open Chest Swan involves bending (flexing) the spine in a forward motion to create the letter “C” as you bend your elbows. It works in concert with the Neutral Elongation position to put your spine in clean alignment. You are strengthening and stretching your spine and improving blood flow. One of the benefits of this exercise is it relieves tension.

Side Leg Lifts on the Floor

This exercise involves lengthening and lifting the leg and engaging the core. The leg is parallel to the floor. In a May 2017 YouTube video, Essentrics® founder Miranda Esmonde-White points out that the sit-up portion of the exercises helps “strengthen the core to help you support your back.” As you lift your legs, you are strengthening the hips.

Windmills 

Think of the forward and backward windmill. Arms are elongated from left to right for starters, then from front to back and up and down, like reaching for the ceiling, moving like the blades of a windmill, to pull on your spine and sides, working your torso.  Windmills mimic many of your daily movements, such as twisting and turning. They help create more range of motion from the upper to the lower body. They are also good for relieving frozen shoulder.  

How are you “holding” up?

If you’re sitting down while using your phone, computer or tablet, take a moment and check in with yourself.

Is your head aligned with your neck, shoulders and spine, with the monitor or phone at eye level? Are you sitting comfortably, feet flat on the floor at an ergonomic workstation that supports your body’s alignment? How do you feel? Do you feel confident and perhaps taller and full of energy, ready to take on the day’s challenges?

Or, are you slouching? If you find yourself sinking into your chair, shift your position and see how you feel.

If you’re going to be at your desk for a long time, get up from time to time and take a break. You’ll feel better. And remember, no slouching!

Sources:

Aging Backwards No.1 Straighten Your Posture | Essentrics (on YouTube)

Essentrics.com

“The Miracle of Flexibility” by Miranda Esmonde-White

 ‘Tech neck’ epidemic: How to treat the rise in chronic neck pain, by Kavita Trivedi, D.O., Jan. 18, 2023 (UT Southwestern Medical Center Blog)