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There is never a good substitute for movement, but keeping active can be challenging. For many people, going out for a run or taking time to perform a full workout can be daunting, especially if this is not a part of their usual routine. Here are some ideas to get you away from your desk, your couch, or anywhere that keeps you in a static posture for too long... There are a few quick and easy ways to add some movement to your day, starting with something as simple as boiling the kettle or just getting a drink from the fridge or water cooler. It only takes 2-3 minutes, so challenge yourself to see if you can complete these three exercises before going back to sitting down. You can focus on one each day, or work through a different one each time.  1. Challenge your balance.
Standing on one leg is something many of us assume we can do, yet rarely take the time to check. This is an essential skill that can deteriorate without being noticed until everyday activities, such as getting dressed, are impacted. Being able to stand on one leg is important for putting on shoes, trousers and reduced balance can be a risk factor for falls. Start by seeing if you can stand on one leg with your eyes open for the entire time a kettle is boiling, or time yourself with a stopwatch. Test both legs, making sure you are close to a bench that you can use to support yourself. To increase the difficulty, try balancing with your eyes closed, then progress to balancing on your tiptoes. If you can balance on your tiptoes, with your eyes closed, then you can ask your physio for more suggestions. 2. Heel Raises Start by keeping your knees slightly bent and lift both heels off the ground at the same time. You can begin with repetitions of 5, have a quick rest then repeat. Challenge yourself to increase the speed of your heel raises and see how many you can fit into your 2 minute workout. As you bend your knees, aim to keep your knees over your second toe. If you feel this is a little too easy, you can progress to single-leg heel raises, which will also improve your balance! You can start a daily competition with the people in your home or workplace to see who can complete the most repetitions in a set time period. 3. Squats Squats are a great exercise to keep your large muscles working. You can start with 5 shallow squats, aiming to slowly increase your number and progressively squat to a lower position. As with heel raises, when you start to find squats to be less of a challenge, you can move to single-leg squats. Don’t hesitate to ask your physio or posture specilaist for tips on how else you can stay active at home or in the workplace.
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Many of us spend more time at our desks than any other place in our waking hours. While the risk of injury from sitting down can seem unlikely, spending hours in a poorly set up workspace can place a lot of pressure on your body and lead to overuse injuries or postural pain. Below are a few tips that can help you set up your workstation better.  Your Chair
The height of your chair is a good place to begin. Ideally, your feet should be flat on the floor, and if you can adjust the height of the chair, your thighs should be parallel to the floor. If your chair has armrests, they should be low enough to allow your elbows to sit comfortably between 90-110 degrees of bend and rest by the side of your body. A small cushion or rolled-up towel may be added to the back of the chair to add support to the lower back to help prevent slouching. If you are unable to adjust your chair and it is too high, you can use a footrest to allow your feet to rest comfortably. Your Desk The height of your desk should be set so that your arms can rest comfortably at the keyboard and hands, wrists and forearms can sit in a neutral position, parallel to the floor. Where possible, put everything you need within easy reach and alternate days using your mouse and phone with different hands on different days (if you can do this with your non-dominant hand!). Your Screen The height of your computer should be raised so that the top of the screen is around eye level. Allowing your neck to rest in a neutral position can help to prevent neck pain and headaches. Ideally, if you can set the screen to be 20-40 inches away from your face, this will reduce strain on your eyes while reading. Some other tips Being comfortable is extremely important for productivity and focus. If you are struggling with pain, your work will often suffer. Even joint stiffness and muscle tightness can disrupt your workflow, so taking the time to adjust your workstation can save you countless hours in the long run and prevent painful overuse injuries. Taking active breaks from sitting to move and stretch can help to maintain muscle and joint health, which can be compromised from being in the same posture too long. You can set a timer or make the effort to take phone calls and video meetings standing, rather than always sitting. You can speak to your physiotherapist or posture specialist for more personalised advice on your workplace setup. What if I told you that your posture can cause minor aches and pains or long term pain, discomfort, and sometimes loss of function? As you lean forward on the edge of your seat to continue reading this, your shoulders may be slouching while your head might be shifting slightly forward. Do you do this often?  If you consistently read or look at a screen in this posture, or if you find yourself hanging your head when you walk, you could develop a common musculoskeletal condition called forward head posture (FHP).
Have you ever seen someone with their head and neck leaning forward? You may see it in older adults more, but with the routine activities we perform (e.g. mobile phone usage), it’s becoming more common. If you perform activities regularly in poor alignment it alters your nerve and muscle pathways, which will cause the head and neck to adapt more readily to FHP. Some muscles will become stronger and tighter while others will become weaker and more stretched. The nerves could then be affected as well; even getting “pinched” or compressed. This does not occur overnight, it happens gradually. The more you perform an activity in poor alignment the less likely you are to notice you’re doing it and before long you’ll have FHP and the symptoms to go along with it. Some of you reading this may already have symptoms but never realized it until now. Here are three questions to ask yourself regularly to help you avoid forward head posture: What kind of posture do I have while I’m at work? Whatever you do for a living, do it in good posture. You spend many hours of your life at work so this is one of the places you’ll need to be the most vigilant. Adjust your seat and laptop/computer so the top of the screen is at eye level- you shouldn’t feel like you have to strain or hunch forward to read something on the screen. It’s important you get a handle on this and help clients make the necessary adjustments. Am I hanging my head/lurching my neck forward when reading, playing video games, or on my phone? When it comes to activities involving books, mobile devices, or computer screens, you may have a bad habit of staring and not realizing the position your neck is in. Let’s do a small activity, where are you right now and what is your body doing? Pay attention to your head and neck. Are you guilty of the problem? Going forward, I want you to work on your awareness. When holding your mobile device, hold it higher and away from your face so it’s comfortable. Use your eyes instead of leaning your neck forward or tilting your chin downward when on your phone. Check your body alignment when playing video games, especially if you slouch. If you’re reading books, pay attention to how you’re sitting or lying, and where your head and neck are positioned. Remember, you do these activities often, so make sure you habitually do them in good alignment. When I exercise or perform activities, do I have poor mechanics and don’t realize it? Have you ever seen someone performing an exercise and they’re pushing their head and neck forward, maybe with the increased effort? I’ve seen too many people jut their chin and head forward while performing exercises. My point here is when you exercise you must pay attention to what your body is doing. Let’s make some changes now by correcting our poor habits. I hope you pass this message along because there are too many people who probably have symptoms and don’t realize what’s causing them. Symptoms could be as simple as neck pain or headaches, or more complex than that. While every ache or pain isn’t caused by poor posture, it’s still worth checking your head and neck to ensure they’re in proper alignment. Ask yourself these questions and keep correcting yourself where possible. The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USA) states the term “posture” refers to the position in which we hold our bodies. We rely on our postural muscles to maintain balance, prevent the forces of gravity from pushing us forward, and move in ways that place the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments. Many of us spend a large part of our work day in a relatively static position, so it’s important that our bodies are positioned correctly. In this post, we highlight the benefits of correct posture.  Numerous factors can contribute to poor posture, including tight or weak muscles, stress, obesity, and wearing unsupportive shoes. Poor posture can lead to back pain, breathing problems, and headaches—and it can even impact mood. (Harvard Health Publishing.)
It’s important to recognise that posture can have a profound impact on your health and well-being, as well as your ability to thrive at work. Improving your posture may provide the following benefits: 1. Increased Confidence Correcting your posture can impact the way you feel about yourself. One study found that students who held an upright, confident posture were much more likely to have confidence in their thinking—and performed better on math tests. Feeling more confident in your ideas at work will ultimately help you succeed. 2. More Energy Poor posture can negatively affect energy levels, resulting in fatigue. Practicing good body alignment may help you remain focused and energized at work. Whether you’re delivering packages or caring for patients, correct posture can allow you to power through the day more easily. 3. Greater Self-Esteem and Better Mood In addition to giving you more energy, better posture can also reduce depressive feelings and improve your self-esteem and mood. Feeling good about your professional life often starts with feeling positive about yourself. 4. Easier Breathing When the body is aligned correctly, it’s easier to breathe. Slouching can reduce lung capacity, leading to shortness of breath. Having difficulty breathing can impact your ability to do your best work. To breathe more life into your lungs, try altering your posture. 5. Less frequent headaches Bad posture creates tension in the upper back, neck, and shoulders, leading to headaches that manifest as throbbing pain in the base of the skull and sometimes the forehead. Headaches are no fun, so this is an incentive to have good posture. 6. Reduced Risk of Injury Proper posture can help you avoid injury, especially to your back, shoulders, arms, and wrists. One of the most common reasons people see a doctor or miss days of work is back pain. It’s particularly important to have good standing posture, as standing for long periods of time is associated with short-term adverse health issues, such as back pain, fatigue, and leg cramps. 7. Boosted Productivity Research shows that posture impacts productivity. If you’re in pain, injured, or fatigued, or if you lack self-confidence, you will likely have trouble staying focused and productive at work. Because improving your posture can positively impact your mental and physical health, it enables you to be a more productive member of the team. An article in Spine Health by Vijay Vad, MD, a sports medicine physician, states that "unsupported postures cause the loads on your spine to disperse incorrectly, weakening the tissues in your lower back. As a result, the intricate network of muscles, discs, and joints in your back tend to be pushed beyond their tolerable limit, causing pain." Likewise, a sudden injury from lifting a heavy object incorrectly or in bad alignment can cause immediate back pain and dysfunction.  When you have poor posture, several areas of stress may develop within your muscle tissue, spinal joints (lumbar facets), and discs. These stresses may be relieved once the offending posture is corrected or may continue to accumulate, slowly weakening the affected structure, for example:
Changing from a habitual incorrect posture may take time and mindful awareness. Here are a few tips on how to maintain good posture while walking, sitting, and lifting... Walk tall. While walking, it is important to look straight ahead and to keep your head balanced above your spine. Keep your spine straight and relax your shoulders. Make sure to land on your heel and then gently roll forward to push off the front of your foot. With each step, a gentle spinal rotation must be achieved by reaching the opposite arm forward. Sit with support and get up every hour. While sitting and working on an office chair, keep your back flush against your chair, your head over your spine, your shoulders rolled back, and shoulder blades down. Bend your arms at a 75 to 90-degree angle at the elbows. Your legs should be hip distance apart with both feet flat on the floor. If you are unable to reach the floor, use a footrest. Place a small pillow or rolled-up towel to support your lower back and maintain the lumbar curve. Aim to get up every hour and walk a short distance to relieve pressure from your spine. Lift carefully. To lift a heavy object from the floor, squat down in front of the object by keeping a straight back and bending your knees. Hold the object close to your chest while you straighten your knees to stand up. To lift lighter objects, take support from a table or a counter with one hand, bend down at your hip (keeping a straight back), and raise one leg backward for counterbalance. Use the other hand to lift the object. This technique is called the golfer’s lift and is especially useful for repetitive lifting activities. As stated in the American CEO magazine, we all know that a sedentary lifestyle yields medical challenges like weight gain, heart disease and kidney failure. Did you know, though, how you sit can also jeopardize work performance? Poor posture affects productivity, by learning how to sit properly, you can boost brain function and accomplish more during the day.  Body Language Affects Mood
The way you sit can make you happy, sad or depressed. It sounds strange, but researchers at Ohio State University found that nodding or shaking your head affects your attitude, even if it’s unintentional. Erik Peper, a Dutch behavioral scientist also researched this topic. He found two key facts about posture that will help you on the job, today: 1. Sitting straight increases the likelihood that you'll think positively. The next time you struggle with a negative attitude or workplace drama, sit straight. Your mood and mindset will change, allowing you to focus on work and get more done. 2. Skipping during regular breaks increases energy levels, but walking while slouching or slumping drains your energy. During your next break, stand up straight and skip down the hall to the copy room, bathroom or lunchroom. Your co-workers might look at you funny, but you'll face all the projects on your desk with renewed energy. Posture Affects Hormones Difficult tasks, hostile clients or boring projects take the fun out of work. However, if any of these productivity killers affect you, use posture to your advantage. Simply stand up and extend your arms and legs. Stretching as tall and wide as possible expresses your power and tells your brain that you're ready to tackle anything. Researchers at Columbia University and Harvard University concur that posture affects hormones. People who stand in powerful, expansive poses experience decreased cortisol and increased testosterone levels. This hormone combination increases leadership ability and disease resistance. A powerful pose can also help you take risks and land new clients, ask for a raise, or approach a problem resourcefully. What does this all mean? When you need to do something you'd rather not do, like start a huge project, call a challenging client, or write a cumbersome report, stand tall or sit straight instead of hunching. Your expansive posture will assist you in doing the tasks that stand between you and success. Get Moving! To be more productive, get moving. Regular movement provides many benefits, physically and mentally. To stay moving when your job requires regular sitting, incorporate bursts of physical activity into your daily routine. At least twice every hour, stand and walk. Move around your office, walk to the break room to refill your water bottle or walk down the hall and back. The break resets your posture and prevents you from sitting in one spot too long. Ready to be more productive at work? Keep your posture in check and enjoy the many benefits. Here’s a one minute posture break exercise recommended by a posture expert from the USA Dr. Steven Weiniger. Focusing your attention on a single body part at a time can boost mind-body awareness and control, and with these 5 steps you can dial into your posture to start confidently standing taller.
A Mindful Posture Break: The goal is to stand tall and align your head, torso and pelvis over your feet (the 4 PostureZones). As your focus shifts from the ground up, breathe slowly and let your breath guide the motion. 1- Stand Tall and relaxed. Not stiff or rigid. Relax, and pull your head to the ceiling. Breathe in and out, and then… 2- Ground your Feet: Slowly come up onto your toes, then down. Come up onto your heels and spread your toes apart, then back down. Roll your feet out, and then in. Now, press on all four ‘corners’ to ground your feet as you breathe in and out, and then… 3- Centre your Pelvis: Arch your low back and breathe in, then pull your belly in, tuck your pelvis in and breathe out. Keep your spine long and head tall as you roll your pelvis back to centre, half way between these 2 extremes. Repeat for another breath. 4- Open your Torso: Lift shoulders up and back as you breathe in, then keep them back as you lower them down and breathe out. Repeat for another slow breath, and then… 5- Lift and level your Head. Look straight ahead as you breathe in, then breathe out and lift the base of your head up (keep the head level and chin slightly tucked) to lengthen your spine. Repeat for another slow, deep breath. Repeat. Focus on standing taller, aligning each PostureZone as you breathe slowly for each step. Do this 2 or 3 times a day to relieve stress, unfold your posture and brighten your mood. It really is a priority to make time for daily posture breaks. Whether you’re feeling down or optimistically looking up, posture affects (and is affected by) your outlook on life. Improving your posture can improve your mood, while reducing pain and muscle stress to let you breathe easier and feel better in both mind and body. This is an excellent question. Think about how you sit during the day. Is your head forward or over your body? Are your shoulders and spine rounded forward, or back and straight? Are your feet flat on the floor under your knees or out in front of you? It can be hard to notice the positioning of your body throughout the day, so you'll need to think about it. Another question is, after sitting or standing for a while, do you start to have aches and pains in your back, neck, or shoulders? If yes, then it could be posture related, and be worth getting assessed professionally.  My back aches when I sit for a long time, does that mean I have bad posture?
Possibly. Back ache can be an indicator of bad posture, but not always. Back ache or back pain can be caused by many things and is unfortunately very common. Bad posture itself can be contributing factor to many issues, from headaches to back pain, and breathing problems in some cases. To determine what is causing your back ache, several factors would need to be considered. What type of chair are you sitting in and how supportive is it? How strong are your stabilizing muscles and are they properly supporting you? What position are you sitting in? Are there any other contributing factors to your back pain? As you can see, this can be a complex question to answer. Can I improve my posture? Absolutely! Posture can be improved with a combination of strengthening weakened muscles and stretching tight muscles. The trick is knowing which muscles to focus on. As a general tip for strengthening, exercises that generally have a pulling motion, like rows, can be very helpful in bringing the shoulders back to improve posture. Pulling exercises focus on back muscles which tend to be weak in people with bad posture. Weak back muscles in combination with tight chest or front of the shoulder muscles tend towards a more rounded shoulder posture. If this is you, you can try to a back exercise every other day to maintain strong postural muscles, and stretch your chest/pectoral muscles daily. Of course, for a more specific exercise program for your particular posture, you would need to be properly assessed, preefrably by a posture specialist. Do I have to keep my back straight all the time to have good posture? In a word, no. Nobody has perfect posture all day. The trick is to practice sitting in a good, comfortable position throughout the day. Set an alarm on your phone or computer to remind you to practice good sitting posture every hour. For five minutes at a time, try to maintain that position. Also, there is nothing better for your posture than to get up and move, so get out of that desk chair every 30 minutes. It is natural for you to slowly go back into your default posture because that position is more familiar to your body and requires much less effort for you to stay there. But by practicing a good posture throughout the day, you are slowly creating a new default for your body. You become better at maintaining that new position for a longer period of time, particularly if you also exercise to strengthen those postural muscles. We live in a sedentary society. We sit in slouched positions for hours and hours, day after day, year after year. Going to the gym and working out for 30 minutes is beneficial and should be a lifestyle habit, but it’s not enough to reverse sedentary behaviors. If you really want to be more healthy this year and make your fitness a priority, then you need to think about how you can increase your fitness beyond the gym, your walk or your run. Being more active during your workday will help you achieve your fitness goals. Did you know that the difference between obese and non-obese workers is that non-obese workers stand up for 2 hours more per day? That’s it. That is the difference between obese and non-obese workers. Standing up helps you slim down. Keep going to the gym, but in addition to that, think of ways that you can have a more active lifestyle. Here are 4 strategies to turn your “Get Fit Resolution” into a lifestyle habit. 
These tips will help keep your body healthy and move towards your fitness goals in the New Year. Celebrate the small wins along the way and remember, for best fitness results, do regular workouts AND be more active throughout your workday. For most of us, screen time and sitting go hand in hand and both are only increasing as our lives move more online. While short periods in any posture aren't harmful, a lack of movement combined with long periods spent in hunched positions can lead to spinal pain, headaches, shoulder pain and more. If you're needing to spend more time in front of a screen, here are a few tips that can help you to keep flexible and avoid pain.  Set movement breaks
Posture in itself isn't always a problem. Spending long periods of time in these postures without taking breaks is the problem. When your body is so used to one position, muscles may become shorter and joints stiffer, making it harder to move out of this posture without pain and discomfort. You can break up your day by setting a timer to move and take a break every 20-30 minutes. Using these short breaks for movement is a great way to both help focus at work and keep your body more flexible. Setup your work and home environment properly Adjusting your work station or setting up a place to relax at home where to you can avoid a hunched posture can help you to reduce time in the same posture. Your physiotherapist can give you tips for how to setup your home and office environment correctly. Take stock of your time spent sitting Time in the car, time on your computer and time on the couch can all quickly add up without you realising. By accounting for the amount of time you spend sitting, you can find more ways to move. For example, if you notice that you're sitting down as soon as you get home, try swapping out watching an episode on TV to going for a walk while listening to a podcast. Ask your physio or posture specialist for specific stretches If you can identify the posture you spend the most time in, your physio or posture specialist can help you to develop a specific exercise and stretching program to counteract these positions most directly and keep you strong and flexible. |