Improve y bani
Hear the word ‘posture’ and you’ll probably pull your shoulders back instinctively and stand a few centimetres taller.
It’s a reflex reaction, like when someone talks about head lice and you immediately want to have a good scratch.
But can you improve your posture by default, not just when you’re reminded?
In England and Scotland, 10million people suffer from back and neck pain and bad posture can contribute to daily aches and pains.
Exercises like pilates and yoga can help improve core strength, enabling you to hold yourself in a better position. But small changes you can incorporate into your daily routine will make a big difference.
Chiropractor Owain Evans, founder of award-winning clinic Backspace, says: “Good posture is simply how well our body parts line up to distribute the forces of gravity and shock through the joints and muscles.”
Owain, who is a member of the British Chiropractic Association, added: “Bad posture leaves your body prone to tension and injury.
“People often slip into positions that put their bodies under strain, hanging on their ligaments instead of using muscles to keep them upright.”
Here we reveal how you can improve your posture.
The body is a tower, so let’s start with its foundations: the feet.
Distribute your weight evenly across both when standing and don’t lock your knees back. If you do, your quads will disengage, leaving the ligaments around your knees to do all the work and keep you upright.
Wear and tear is cumulative, with tension building daily. Eventually you’ll wear your joints and tendons out.
Buy comfortable, well-made footwear – especially if you spend a lot of time on your feet. No more flip-flops and battered trainers.
Lean all your weight through one of your legs, using your other leg as a “placeholder”, jutting out to stop you toppling over.
Start the day with some stretches to rid your body of tension and help your brain connect with your body.
QUAD STRETCHES: While standing, lift one heel towards your bottom. If you can’t bring the two together, you have tight quads. Hold this stretch for at least 30 seconds. Repeat whenever you’re brushing your teeth or boiling the kettle. You
can’t overdo this one.
With the majority of the population in sedentary work, the key to comfort and good posture while sitting at a desk is finding the neutral position of your joints.
Keep your feet flat on the floor, with your knees hip width apart.
Use your backrest. It’s not decorative, otherwise you’d be sitting in an office full of saddles.
Raise and angle your seat to create a slight slope from your hips down to the knee. If your knees are angled anything less than 90 degrees, your chair is too low.
Sit on one foot, cross your feet or legs, or hover away from your backrest. Don’t curve your spine into an excessive C-shape.
PELVIC TILTS: While standing or lying down, tilt your pelvis gently backwards and forwards. You can also tilt from side to side, a bit like a belly dancer would. It’s great for mobilising your core and becoming familiar with finding – and using – your pelvis’ natural mid-position. BALL CURLS: Lie on your back and pull both knees to your chest. Hold for 30 seconds.