Are You Sitting Comfortably?

It’s no secret that as we age our posture tends to take a hit. Years of sitting at a desk in front of a computer take their toll on our spine and the muscles that support it. It may be tempting to dismiss posture as little more than something grandma used to admonish you about when you were a child, but there are in fact a number of significant health benefits to be gained from good posture including better digestion, more effective breathing, stress reduction and improved concentration. Not to mention you’ll just look and feel better.

5 Ways to Avoid Slipping into Bad Posture Habits

1.   Stand Up and Stretch: Sitting all day every day poses several significant risks to your health and promotes bad posture as well. It’s important to take regular breaks during the day. Stand up tall and stretch. Take some nice deep breaths with your back straight and walk around.

2.   Exercise: The muscles in our back are some of the largest and most important in our bodies. They need exercise just as much as our legs and arms. Ask your doctor which back exercises would be most effective for you and then incorporate them into your lifestyle.

3.   Sit Up Straight: This may seem obvious but the best way to maintain good posture is to maintain good posture. Get in the habit of sitting up straight at a desk or your chair whilst watching the TV and if you find you’ve slid into a slouch just catch yourself and sit up straight again. If you do this often enough it will become habit.

4.   Try Yoga: Yoga is well known for helping to build flexibility but it’s about a lot more than just stretching. A good yoga routine will help strengthen your entire core, including the muscles of the back. It will also promote good posture which you can then take back to the desk with you to help prevent slouching.

5.   Lift Weights: In recent years weight lifting has been getting a lot of press for the benefits it’s now known to provide older people with. Among the many benefits of weight lifting is the way it helps prevent bone thinning that can lead to poor posture and spinal curvature. Very light hand weights are ideal; enough to provide some resistance. We’ll cover this in another article

Poor posture is a subject that’s not discussed much but probably should be. By taking the above tips to heart you can help prevent a slew of health problems related to poor posture while feeling younger, stronger and more alert in the process. We also have some products that will help you sit more comfortably here.