Having good posture is important. For athletes, good posture means having correct form while performing exercises, this results in fewer injuries and better gains. It can also help strengthen their abilities in their sport.
If you’re not an athlete, you should still be mindful of proper posture.
Posture refers to the alignment and position of the body with respect to the force of gravity. Gravity exerts a force on your joints, ligaments and muscles when you are sitting, standing or lying down. Having a correct posture requires distributing the gravity throughout your body so no structure is overstressed.
There are two kinds of posture:
Static Posture: Your body and its segments must be aligned and maintained in some positions such as when standing, sitting, lying, or kneeling.
Dynamic Posture: Your body and its segments are moving such as when walking, running, jumping or lifting.
The following tips can help:
1. Stretch your body – Start your morning with a 10-minute stretch after you wake up:
2. Stand straight – straighten up your spine, move your shoulders down to its resting position and slowly tighten the muscles in your stomach, repeat.
3. Loosen tightened neck muscles – Gently move your head in circles, from back to front and side to side.
4. Lie flat on the ground – Do this method once a day for 2-3 minutes without having any support on your back.
5. Be mindful when walking, straighten your shoulders keeping your core tight helps. If you’re sitting for work don’t slouch.
6. Exercise regularly – exercises such as yoga and pilates can help strengthen your back and stomach muscles. Working on your core muscles like the torso and pelvis can help strengthen your core & correct your posture.
7. Lift things properly – The proper way to lift heavy items is to use your hips, keeps items close to your body, bend your knees tighten your core, and remember not to twist your back.
8. Wear flat shoes – heels can bring your body out of alignment, wearing comfortable flat shoes allows your weight to be distributed equally.
