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Maintaining good posture is essential for more than just alleviating back pain and discomfort. When you slouch, you’re adding pressure throughout your body that contributes to digestive problems, respiratory issues, and heart health.
By paying closer attention to when you slouch, you’ll be better able to make good posture a positive habit in your life.
1. Slouching at Work
The biggest problem for people who work in an office setting is how they sit at their desks. There’s a tendency to slouch forward while typing or browsing through computer files. You can avoid developing this bad habit and sit more properly by following these steps:
- Sit with your back against the chair’s back and your knees positioned parallel to one another
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and facing forward
- Your elbows should be parallel to the desk
- Adjust the computer monitor to ensure you can clearly see the screen without slouching forward
You should also ensure that your office furniture allows you to follow these steps without adding to your discomfort. When shopping for a chair, go for one that’s ergonomic and fits the shape of your body.
Your chair should also be high enough so that your elbows are at least even with the desk’s surface.
2. Using Your Smartphone
In today’s digital world, people spend a large chunk of each day hunched over a tablet or smartphone to text, browse the internet, and watch videos. This amount of hunching forward can lead to serious back problems.
Prevent these problems by limiting your phone use and paying attention to how you sit when you do use your phone.
3. Sleeping on Too Many Pillows
Good posture doesn’t end when you go to bed, and it’s important to know how to sleep to prevent waking up with a sore neck or back.
For starters, you really shouldn’t sleep on more than one pillow. The extra curve this places on your spine causes a multitude of problems. If you really need to sleep with that extra incline, it’s better to invest in an adjustable bed.
4. Being Obese or Overweight
Another hazard for your posture is carrying around too much extra weight. If you are overweight, consider changing your diet and getting more exercise.
As you start losing some of those extra pounds, you’ll find that it’s easier to sit up straight. You’ll also feel more energy as you alleviate the extra pressure that caused you to slouch. You might also notice improvements in other ailments you may be suffering from as a result of obesity, such as pain in your feet while walking. (If that foot pain doesn’t subside after weight loss, you may need to consult specialists such as those at Northwest Surgery Center for your options.)
If you experience frequent back pain or discomfort, you should talk to a doctor. In addition to improving your posture, you can make other lifestyle changes to alleviate the discomfort. There may even be treatments to help you live a healthier and happier quality of life.