How To Correct Your Sitting Posture That Is Causing You Body Ache
Good posture is quite important as it not only speaks to good movement but also tells all and sundry about your confidence levels. Movement experts have provided a number of solutions to the problems of bad posture associated with sitting for long periods of time.
One good way to know a lot of people are sitting inappropriately is to take a stroll through your office and take a cursory glance around to observe how your colleagues are sitting. Chances are they’re either slouched back in their chair like their spine is melting, or hunched over their keyboard like someone addicted to a computer game.
It is important that you become aware of the perils associated with being slumped in front of a computer all day and the ways that you can correct and improve your posture.
Strained Neck
Straining your neck forward, while staring at a computer screen for long periods of time tends to put stress on the cervical vertebrae. This can result in imbalances to the muscles and ligaments that support your neck and head. This usually leads to poor posture and even headaches that affects your health.
Weakened Core
The muscles of the core are much more important than a lot of us know and their function goes way beyond flaunting them in Instagram photos! The muscle of the core helps to support the spine, while also keeping you in a strong upright position.
Unfortunately however, when you’re slumped in a chair, these important stabilising muscles are switched off. The muscles that make up the glutes are also an essential part of our core musculature as they play a vital role in hip stability and strength, which has a direct correlation with core stability, lumbar spine posture and overall health.
The Hunchback
Slouched computer posture leads to elongated and weak upper back muscles. This also affects internally rotated shoulders, shortened pectoralis muscles and excessive rounding of the thoracic spine. They all combine to affect shoulder mobility and can also restrict breathing efficiency.
Disc Health
Sitting consistently for long periods of time can affect your spinal disks. Long seated posture can squash your disks unevenly and they can lose sponginess, making them weaker and less resilience. This increases, increasing the potential for disk bulges.
Tight Hip Flexors
Sitting for extended periods of time will result in shortened and cramped muscles. These actions tightens the hips and pulls the lumbar spine forward, accentuating lumbar lordosis (‘duck butt’), and placing uneven pressure on the discs of the lumbar spine.
Foggy Memory
People that sit for long moments at computer desks can relate to feeling tired and cranky, having a blank mind and vulnerable to distractions.
The Solutions
The good news is you can correct the sitting posture causing you body aches and the solution to this doesn’t involve handing in a resignation as a means of going on more midday workouts to help you retain your good posture.
Simply getting up for five minutes every hour to stroll around or get a glass of water can do the magic. Indulging in short walks can help pump some fresh blood around the body and oxygen to the brain. Doing this can also help in lubricating the joints and preventing muscles from shortening and cramping up.