What Your Posture Says About You (1)
In almost a decade of training on etiquette, I have noticed that about 20 per cent of Nigerians have bad posture. From bad walking posture to sitting, sleeping and even eating! This accounts for why many people don’t look as good as they should and why so many do not live as healthy and as happy as they should.
I drive a sedan. After a while I noticed that I started having pronounced back pain after minutes and hours of driving especially in traffic. So, I decided to put a little pillow under my seat when driving and I noticed that the pain stopped. Whenever you feel pain when assuming a position, it could be an indication that that posture is wrong. Have you noticed that after sitting on a chair for a while you may feel like stretching or even changing your position? Now that’s may be your muscles and bones sending a signal to you that that posture may not be the best posture for you.
Those who work for long hours in sedentary jobs have a high risk of back pain and that is why many executives who have worked for decades eventually have all sorts of funny postures and ailments from slumped shoulders to hunch backs and clumsy walking postures. Poor posture is caused by some of the following factors: sitting and working at a computer like I said, this causes back pain and ergonomic experts say that when we sit the hunch shape shrinks our chest cavity while we sit meaning our lungs have less space to expand into when you breathe that could be a problem because it limits the amount of oxygen that fills your lungs and filters into your blood.
When we tilt our head while talking on the phone or slouch the head forward while texting on a smart phone.
Wearing over-weighted backpacks or purses — these posture killers can be particularly stressful, especially those worn always over the same shoulder.
Standing on your heels. Most people stand with weight over their heels, which cause your feet to become weak and turn in, which increases stress on your weight-bearing joints ankles, knees, hips and lower back. So then when next you stand, stand on your entire foot.
When we work with our arms out in front when in class rooms, in front of a computer or at an office desk e.t.c., we use large shoulder, chest and arm muscles that when over-used and under-stretched can begin to pull your shoulders and head forward leading to slumped shoulders.
While brushing teeth or lifting things from floor, we have a tendency to bend forward from our backs. What this does is that it makes the natural “S” curve of your spine to turn into a “C” curve that ruins your posture. So when next you have to bend, do so at your knees and not at your back.
These are a few of the things we can do to ensure proper posture. 1. When working on your computer, keep your eyes level with the top of monitor, elbows and wrists straight at 90-degree angle. Remember to never bend over, but instead hinge from your hips.
2. Use props and tools, such as lumbar support pillows and seat wedges that help maintain normal spinal curves when sitting to decrease posture stress.
3. Use bare feet or the thinnest sole possible, so nerve receptors in your feet can help your nervous system, brain and muscles connect more efficiently to create better coordination. This helps your posture and helps to smooth your quality of movement.
4. Wear less of high heels and thick soled shoes. High heels and thick-soled shoes are terrible for posture. Try to spend most of your time not wearing shoes when you do not have to, because it builds the muscles in your feet that are the foundation for your posture and quality of movement. Strong, aligned feet equate to a strong, aligned body.