How to Overcome Modern Challenges to Posture

We recently came across a great article in the Boston Globe, "The Proper Balance".

Many studies are being done to show just how harmful it can be to sit for long periods of time.The majority of our patients are aware of the dangers of sitting but aren't sure what they can do. It's tough to maintain good posture considering today's technology-driven and deskbound lifestyle.

This article offers some good tips on how you can practice good posture even if you are unable to escape sitting at a desk for 8 hours every day.

DON'T:

Sit with head forward (like a turtle), back rounded, and elbows flexed past 90 degrees.

Pick up something without bending your knees

Cradle the phone with your neck when you're multitasking. Use the speaker mode or a headset device.

Wear high heels if you're going to be walking or standing for more than a few minutes. You can throw off your posture by forcing the lower part of your body forward and the upper part backward to maintain balance.

Overload your purse or backpack. If your shoulder starts to hurt after 10 minutes of toting your bag, it's time to unload excess stuff, like that ton of spare change.

DO:

Get up from a sitting position at least once an hour.

When standing, check yourself in a mirror at least once a day to see if you're standing straight with your shoulders back, pelvis tucked under, and head aligned with torso.

Distribute the weight of your backpack evenly by wearing on both shoulders.

Follow a 20/20/20 rule for computer work:
Take a 20 second rest break every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet or more away from the monitor.

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