Got Caveman Posture?

Is Technology Taking Your Posture Back to the Stone Age?

This days even if you are not working at a desk, you are staring at some type of screen.  Whether in an office seated behind a desk or standing, or at home watching TV and playing games on your phone, this immobility takes a toll on the body.

Most office desks and chairs are not ergonomically correct and staring down at your computer can hurt the neck. We all know how the “knee bone is connected to the thigh bone,” so if you strain your neck, there goes your whole body alignment.

When you slouch, it puts pressure on the internal organs.  For example, people with forward head posture put stress on the jaw and breathing muscles often causing tension headaches. Poor posture may also effect digestion, promote constipation and cause herniation.

I guarantee when you see your doctor for constipation or other digestive issues they are not going to look at your posture. Most likely you’ll be given antacid medication or something else to help you with it.

Proper alignment can do so much more then help your posture, it can:

• Prevent extra stress on your joints and muscles
• Improve nervous system function
• Increase your lung capacity
• Improve digestion & constipation
• Improve blood circulation
• Improve jaw pain
• Increase self confidence

Here are some suggestions to help with your posture:

• Set a quiet alarm to go off every hour or ninety minutes.  When this alarm sounds, force yourself to take a short break.  Stand up and stretch.  If you’re already standing, walk around for a full minute.  Empty your trash, grab some water to rehydrate yourself, walk to the restroom to wash your hands or take a quick walk around your building. Also can do this seated stretches
• Make sure your computer is set at proper height, so you don’t have to strain your neck, your eyes, and compromise your posture. Here are some suggestions on how to set up an ergonomic computer station.

• This exercise will help bring your shoulders back, strengthen your midback and open up your chest muscles. Mid back exercise
• Practice yoga, it doesn’t have to be a whole hour long. Even 10-15 minutes of yoga will help with your posture, get your body moving, and improve your mood. Here’s a 10 minute yoga for posture
• To properly enhance your posture, medical massage is key.  An assessment by a medical massage therapist can identify imbalanced, weak and overworked muscles.  Massaging the overworked muscles can relax them and help the body find its proper, pain-free alignment. With proper, personalized therapy and assigned exercises done in the home, you can correct and maintain proper posture. 

So step out of the technology cave, stand upright and reap the benefits of proper posture.

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