Are you slouching right now?
Go on, be honest. We won’t dob you in. The only thing that will dob you in is the constant, niggling soreness in your neck and shoulders. But slouching is something that we all do, even though studies have shown that a bad posture can lead to increased feelings of depression, and poor energy.
If you are one of the lucky ones who have a desk job then you are going to be at risk for slouching even more than the usual worker. So how do you combat it? We have come up with some handy tips to make sure that if you are slouching that you combat it, brought to you by the leaders in all things ergonomics, Colebrook Bosson Saunders.
Keep your ears in line with your shoulders
It seems so simple, and yet it’s got some great repercussions.
If you find that you are sitting too far forward or too far back at your desk simply drag your ears back in line with your shoulders and you’ll find posture perfection. It can help if you tape something to the top of your computer or your laptop screen to make sure that you are remembering to be posture-conscious throughout your day. Something as simple as “ears = shoulders” would do the trick and would have the added benefit of confusing the heck out of anyone else who read your reminder.
Do some shoulder exercises
Many of us struggle with weak shoulders or with other shoulder problems.
Make sure you make time to strengthen your shoulders with some simple exercises like shrugging or pulling your shoulders back and down. This easy exercise will help to loosen up your neck and shoulders and will make you aware of the motion you need to practice.
Uncross your legs! Do it now!
We are all guilty of this one at time to time.
If you are a habitual leg crosser then you need to stop it right now. If you have short legs then place some books underneath your feet to make sure that you can rest comfortably. Crossing your legs causes problems with your spinal alignment and is bad for your sitting overall.
Pull back your shoulders
We mentioned this one above, but make sure you are keeping your shoulders pulled back and down, as this will help to bring your chest up and out, and will avoid problems like rounded shoulders. You want to be able to keep them drawn back for a good long while as this will ensure your overall shoulder strength.
Get up and move around
A big part of the ergonomic workplace is getting up and moving around every now and then. You don’t want to be sitting down for a long period of time without moving; this is really bad for your body. Blood flow is decreased and there are a whole raft of issues like abdominal muscle weakening and so forth. We don’t need to go on, just get up and walk around – trust us. It’s good for you
Use a lumbar support pillow
If you are still struggling with your back or having pain even after working at these exercises then you might need to get a little help from a lumbar support pillow. A folded or rolled up towel will work just as well if you need to use it, just make sure you’re still working at the posture and not expecting the pillow to do all the work for you!
Stay straight and tall in the office, and don’t forget to invest your time and energy in the exercises that will make you stronger and straighter. Back pain is very difficult to combat, but with a bit of attention to your office posture you’ll find the results you’re after.
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