STRETCH OUT AT THE OFFICE

Poor posture poses a health risk

Forward head, slumping shoulders, tilted pelvis. Sound like the Hunchback of Notre Dame?

Maybe, or just your average Joe and Jane glued to their computers today.

“Bad posture can contribute to things like disc herniation, pinched nerves, tingling, arthritic changes in the joints, and tissue getting shorter and tighter,” says Haim Hechtman, a doctor in Bethesda, Md. That sounds painful. Which is what a lot of people feel — pain — before realizing and addressing the underlying issues of what it means and feels like to stand upright.

“Bad posture wears down the body faster than it should,” says Ben Fidler, a Washington personal trainer.

The wearing-down can lead to pain as the body fights to compensate for imbalances.

If the head is forward, the muscles in the back of the neck are lengthened while the muscles in the front are shortened.

This means that none of the body’s muscles are working at their best.

This is what Fidler suggests for improving posture:

Roll the shoulders back and bring the head back to align with the spine.

Brace through the core (by pulling air in toward the trunk).

Squeeze the glutes to create pelvic stability while keeping a neutral lower spine (staying within the natural curvature).

Fidler suggests mixing plank and bridge poses into your exercise routine, as well as two-arm rows using a TRX strap.

But if your poor habits are so ingrained that you no longer know what it feels like to stand up straight, improvement is easier said than done.

“Our perception of what neutral or good posture is differs from reality,” Hechtman says, adding that the longer we have poor posture, the harder it is to correct.

“The brain gets used to a certain position and perceives that as what upright is.”

But let’s face it: Most people probably won’t seek a physical therapist or a trainer for their posture.

Occupational therapist Naomi Abrams, author of Why Is My Office a Pain in My ...?, says most people have a poor perception of their own posture and could use expert help.

But if it’s not available, she recommends having a friend take a picture of you at your desk to see how your shoulders align over your hips and where your head is compared with the rest of your spine.

She recommends bringing work tools closer to your body. (We apparently tend to reach for things such as keyboards, which encourages the forward rolling of the shoulders.)

Among her other recommendations:

Sit farther back into the chair. (Use a footrest if legs are dangling.)

Keep your wrists straight and fingers floating over the keyboard (like a piano player).

Place the keyboard so your elbows can draw back toward the side of your ribs.

Place the monitor at a height that allows your neck and gaze to stay straight.

She, Fidler and Hechtman agree that getting up and moving every so often is key to good posture at work.

Abrams takes it a step further: “Why not cha-cha a little at your desk? Dance and wiggle at your desk.”