Practical Tips to Maintain and Improve Your Posture

Introduction

With the current reliance on technology, posture related problems are at an all time high.

Because of the long hours we spend hunching over our cellphones and laptops, many of us are slowly damaging our bodies without even knowing it.

Not only does improper posture result in pain, fatigue and muscle strain, it has also been linked to quite a number of health complications.

Maintaining proper posture is, therefore, extremely important and the following set of tips can help you do exactly that.

Seven Tips to Maintain Proper Posture

If you’re hoping to maintain or improve your posture, there are a variety of tips or “life hacks” to do so.

In fact, it’s easier than you think to fix your posture if the damage hasn’t set in from many years or decades of neglect. The latter can be a challenge.

If you’re starting to notice things just aren’t right with your body, the following can help you get things in order…

Purchase an Ergonomic Chair

Having an ergonomic chair is considered one of the first cornerstones for work. Once you have made up your mind in choosing the right chair it is also important to know how to properly adjust that easily fits with your body.

Today most of the office chairs come with ergonomic support and functional improvements compared to other typical chairs of the past.

If you like to spend a lot of time working in an office chair and some part of your body aches then my friends you are in dire need of new chair that is where ergonomic chair comes in.

Today many ergonomic computer chairs come with built-in levers, adjustment panels, and additional locking mechanisms to give you the most correct position for long hours.

We all know that sitting at your computer desk should be a comfortable experience especially when you work the whole day.

When it comes to choosing the best office chair according to your requirements you also need to make sure it has lumbar support, highest back, and plenty of support for things.

Once you have decided which chair you need then you also should remember that chair is an essential part of the office environment and needs to be set up properly to your height, keyboard position, and height of the monitor.

Here are some important tips you need to follow for using an ergonomic chair with complete freedom and adjust it appropriately.

The importance of correct sitting posture:

For those of you who don’t know that sitting posture could affect your overall health. So it is always wise to invest in a chair that offers you correct support and being comfortable at the same time.

Steven at Chairthrone recommends that the seat needs to support and match the entire body. This way you could get maximum health benefits from office ergonomic chair.

Once you start following these useful tips you will see that all these steps will improve your sitting posture and prevent any lower back pain resulting in a perfect posture you always needed.

1) Adjust the height of seat:

The first thing you need to do is to adjust the chair’s seat height correctly. Just stand in front of the chair and adjust the height of the seat pan using below knee caps.

Now sit on the chair with your back firmly against the chair’s back and adjust the seat cylinder to a certain height. You need to ensure your feet are flat on the ground with knees close to 90 degrees angles.

2) Adjust the seat pan depth:

This step is very important when you finding good posture for an ergonomic chair, yet it is always overlooked. The depth of the seat makes the biggest difference for comfort.

This adjustment slides the seat pan forward to the chair back or backward. For a shorter person, you the seat to be closer to the chair back and for the taller person, you need to adjust it a little forward.

Here is the pro tip for getting the right seat depth, you always have a gap about the clenched fist between the front edges of the seat cushion and back of the knees and lock the position in one place.

3) Adjust the lumbar support:

The third tip you need to follow is to look for an adjustable lumbar support feature that always comes with an ergonomic chair. The inclusion of lumbar support should great fit for your nature curve spines.

You can adjust the small back directly to the beltline. This adjustment often comes as built-in in the chair and could work for the height and back of the chair at the same time.

But if you don’t have enough budgets you can buy it as an independent adjustment as well.

4) Adjust the height of armrests:

In this step, you need to focus on the arms so they should rest comfortably at your side and relieve strain and pressure from shoulders and upper back.

Generally, armrests are height adjustable and some chair includes armrests with depth ability to pivot for the body towards or backward depending on your choices.

This will allow you to have more customization options to fit your body since ergonomic chairs are designed to fit various body types.

You can slide armrests towards the body that will accommodate for a better slender body of a person.

5) Adjust the headrest:

If the chair has headrest the make sure you use it properly because headrest can provide the comfort and support to the neck and head while in a reclining position.

This will also keep your head at a perfect contrast eye level with a computer monitor and many types of headrests come with an adjustable headrest as well.

6) Adjust space to move:

Many chairs have small wheels or casters attached at the bottom of the frame. This allows you to move around freely to the office environment without the need to stand up.

You should ensure that there is nothing around or underneath the desk that may get in way of the casters. Laptop carry cases and handbags are some examples of hazardous items that be dropped on the floor.

7) Adjust tilt lock:

This function may sound easy but you will be surprised to know that many people find difficult to use it. One of the main problems with tilt lock is that it does not come with a high-quality lever to control and usually breaks down.

You need to check whether the chair comes with built-in support of tilt lock adjustment and modified it.

Additional Tips:

For any ergonomic chair, adjustability is the key factor in any design you choose. If you don’t have the chair adjusted properly according to our body, then you are getting the maximum effectiveness of the chair.

Getting the chair adjusted that fits your body will certainly make a big difference to your health and comfort. This is how you can adjust any office, gaming chair that comes with ergonomic properties.

Get a Good Night’s Rest the Right Way

You probably don’t put a lot of thought to your sleeping position when it’s time to hit the covers, but you should. Your sleeping position can have a detrimental effect to your posture. That’s why some people usually experience a sore neck and back after a poorly chosen sleeping position. Experts recommend that you should avoid hugging your knees while you sleep and instead just keep them slightly bent if you’re a side sleeper. For the back sleepers, you should opt for small pillow rather than a thick pillow and place it under your head so it can help level your spine. You should also consider investing in a firm mattress that can help support your spine’s natural shape a lot better than a soft saggy mattress would.

Don’t Slouch When Sitting

You should maintain a straight back when sitting. Your shoulders should also be pulled slightly back and your back should be resting on the chair’s back. Placing a lumbar cushion behind you will maintain your spine natural curve and help you resist the urge to slouch. Additionally, some experts also recommend resting the feet flat on the floor and bending the knees at right angles instead of crossing the legs. Although it can be quite tempting, you should avoid crossing the legs as it could end up distorting your pelvic alignment and lead to posture problems. For the gamers who tend to spend quite a lot of time sitting they should consider investing in a comfortable chair that’s going to help them maintain the proper posture. A site such as ChairsFX.com has plenty of such chairs which are definitely worth checking out.

Engage in Core Strengthening Exercises

Exercising your abs is not all it takes to achieve a proper posture. You should also engage your core, the area that runs from beneath your rib cage to the thighs. Your core contains most of the muscles that play a major part in helping you sit or stand. Regular core strengthening exercises including yoga and Pilates can help you maintain proper posture by ensuring that the spine is in the best possible shape.

Lift Objects the Correct Way

Strenuous activities such as lifting heavy luggage and carrying kids around could end up damaging your posture if you don’t do it right. You should avoid twisting or bending for a prolonged duration of time while performing such tasks. Instead, try maintaining an upright posture and bend from the knees and hips while also keeping the abdominal muscles tightened while you lift the heavy objects. When it comes to carrying heavy backpacks, ensure that the weight is distributed evenly by carrying it with both straps on your shoulders instead of putting all the weight on one of your shoulders.

Wear the Right Shoes

Comfortable shoes help to keep the body properly aligned. That’s because they support and cushion the feet which are the base of your body and a key player in maintaining your body posture. Proper alignment of the body ensures that there are even distribution of your body weight which prevents pressure from being exerted on a particular part of the body. While choosing shoes, go for the ones that have a heel that’s neither too low nor too high. Shoes with a flat heel can be just as uncomfortable and damaging for your posture as those with very high heels. The recommended heel size is about two to two and a half inches. You can still wear your fashion statement stilettos, but do so in moderation to avoid having posture related complications.

Maintain the Right Posture While Driving

Reclining your seat can be quite tempting especially if you’re on a long journey. Your posture could however end up bearing the brunt of this choice. For the sake of your posture, ensure that your seat is pulled close enough to the steering wheel and your knees are bent slightly. Keep your knees at the same level with your hips or slightly above them. You can also place a rolled up towel or lumbar pillow behind your back to help support your spine.

Conclusion

Poor balance, decreased flexibility, neck and back pain, bad digestion, breathing issues and spine injury are just some of the conditions that can be avoided by having good posture. By being mindful of your posture and using the above set of tips, you should be able to achieve good posture and avoid the problems associated with it.

About Jason Spencer

Jason Spencer has a tremendous enthusiasm for all facets of health, fitness and physical performance that stems from an athletic lifestyle from childhood. Jason was fortunate enough to compete in collegiate football and learned to love the challenges that physical activity placed on the body. As Jason progressed through his higher education and became increasingly aware of how science is applied to physical activity and how it reveals the benefits of exercise, he realized very quickly that he wanted to pursue a career that gives him the opportunity to teach others to compete, challenge, and push themselves towards something more valuable to them than anything else; health, fitness and self worth. Being a fitness professional allows Jason to do this for them and he is always incredibly grateful for that. Jason has a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. Neuroscience and his acquired knowledge of the nervous system and muscle stimulation techniques has been extremely instrumental towards building a unique ability and feel for training the body for optimal form and function. As a personal trainer he is certified with ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine). He's also a strength & conditioning specialist with NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association). He has additional certifications in both kettlebell principles & techniques (Equinox), and Flexibility & Corrective Exercise (Swedish Institute of Health Sciences in NY). Jason has worked as a trainer and conditioning specialist in a variety of fitness facilities over the years such as: LA Fitness in Piscataway, NJ, the YMCA in Metuchen, NJ, and Equinox Fitness Clubs in New York, NY. He also does private in-home sessions all over the Manhattan area.