4 Ways to Improve Posture When Sitting

 

From the office to home, many of us spend a large proportion of our days sitting down. One of the leading causes of back pain is slouching and not sitting properly. Improving your posture when sitting has some great benefits not only to back pain but to your overall health, so here are some tips to help you nail good sitting habits.

1. Stand up straight

 

If you have a generally rounded posture when sitting and this includes stooping your shoulders when you stand, then learning to stand straight can help. Imagine an invisible cord tied to the top of your spine that pulls you straight when you stand up. Allow your shoulders to fall back and keep your head in a neutral position with your eyes facing forward and don't tuck your chin. Years ago, good deportment was taught by walking across a room with a book balanced on your head - it could be fun to try and see if you can pull this off.

2. Sit with support

 

Sofas are great for resting, but once we hit the cushions at the end of a long day in the office, we tend to slump and slouch and bend our spine into positions it shouldn't go. Sitting with support is a great way to correct this problem. For your office chair, you can consider a rolled-up bath towel placed along the curved portion of your lower back for lumbar support. When chilling on your sofa, why not look at a Husband Pillow at husbandpillow.com, which is shaped and contoured to provide the correct level of support as you sit up. The less you slouch, the less pain you will get from your back.

3. Mind your neck

 

Most people have a mobile phone in their hand for a great proportion of the day. However, the constant action of looking down can create neck pain, which radiates right down to the base of your spine. It is a natural position to look down at your phone, but you should try and avoid doing so for prolonged periods. Instead, try and get into the habit of holding your phone up more in front of your face so that you are looking ahead and not unnaturally craning your neck down.

4. Start your day with yoga

 

Yoga, Pilates, or any of the exercises that are based on stretching and posture are perfect for ensuring that you spend your days walking tall a sitting straight. Gentle yoga is the ideal way to start your morning, and you can even begin with some bed-based yoga exercises before moving to the floor for a more comprehensive routine. There are plenty of resources online to help you learn yoga, and many teachers are using the Internet to hold virtual classes during the pandemic when physical classes are not available. You should also try and remember to get up and stretch at least every hour when you are sat at a desk working.