Hi everyone, welcome to Wellness Wednesday! I thought we could chat today about good posture and standing tall to feel great (or at least feel better in my case). This week, I had a major wake-up call about the impact of bad posture and realised the importance of embracing good posture right away!
Embracing Good Posture
As a teenager, my mum would often correct my posture with a light whack across my shoulders. It never hurt but it would certainly startle me into standing tall! Even today, whenever I straighten up, I can still hear her voice in my head saying “Straighten your back!” (except she said it in Spanish. It’s amazing how effective it sounds in Spanish!)
I think that spending way too much time in front of the computer. As well as sitting on a non-ergonomic chair is what has messed up my neck lately. It got so bad that I could hear my neck joints crunching every time I moved after spending hours in a slouched position with my big head jutting out from my body. Ewwww! Then of course I started to get headaches and the pain started to travel down to my shoulder blades. Sigh.
Motivated by Pain: Taking Action on Posture
There’s nothing like pain to motivate you to change a bad habit is there? So for the past couple of days, I have been really focused on keeping my shoulders back and my head aligned with my spine, held up high and parallel to the ground. I did some Googling and was so happy to find tips on relieving neck pain. Instead of the usual list of potentially scary health warnings. You know the ones that Dr Google loves to give, right?
Tips to Remember: Making Good Posture Stick
I know it kind of sounds obvious- good posture means standing up straight (just like my mum said) and aligning your body (just like Google said). But once the pain goes away I tend to forget and go back to my slouchy ways!! So I found some good tips to remember how to stand tall and make it a habit that sticks.
- Set some reminders throughout the day to check in with your posture.
- Invest in ergonomic furniture, like a supportive chair and adjustable desk.
- Stretch and strengthening exercises!
Since I have been making a conscious effort to stand tall, straight and aligned. I’ve noticed some positive changes. I have started to feel better and thankfully, that annoying neck crunch has quietened down. I have to admit that standing straight still doesn’t feel entirely natural yet. But by doing some simple stretches and focusing on my posture, I can feel my body slowly getting used to feeling less like a stiff robot and becoming more at ease in its new, healthier alignment. Now if I could just remember to stop clenching my jaw!!
Related Articles
Could not agree with you more about paying attention to good posture. I try not to slouch while I am sitting at the desk. I also started stretching more often, specially after workouts.
-Soma
My dad, for as long as I can remember has told me to stand up straight. I do slouch.
I often get a bad neck if I have been on my laptop too long. Just now without even thinking I straightened my self up. I am glad your neck is feeling better now.