Whether you’re looking down at your phone, leaning over a laptop, or curled up watching Netflix, chances are good your posture could use some work. Posture is one of those things you don’t pay much attention to until it causes you an issue. The problem with that is now you’re working on correcting it while you’re in pain, which isn’t fun for anyone. Let’s chat about why posture matters so much and what you can do to prevent postural injuries.
I can get injured because of poor posture?
As crazy as it may sound, the answer is yes! We worry so much about perfect form when lifting and during exercise, but we don’t realize our posture and body mechanics during regular life are equally, if not more, important. Your body is made up of different joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles. Each of these structures has a specific role to play and depending on posture or body mechanics, you may be putting them under unnecessary stress.
What role does the spine play?
Each of your vertebrae aligns with the one above and below it through a multitude of what are called facet joints. Your spine also has 4 major curves: cervical (your neck), thoracic (your upper back), lumbar (your low back), and sacral (the very bottom of your back leading towards your buttocks). The cervical spine forms a lordotic curve, thoracic a kyphotic curve, lumbar another lordotic curve, and sacral a kyphotic curve. Why does this matter? Because these curves are designed to help offset the forces exerted on our spine during everyday activity. Poor posture results in increased loading of these joints which can create pain and stiffness felt throughout the neck and back. Chronically poor posture results in excess strain on spinal structures, which over time leads to injury.
What about muscles?
While problems arising from the spine itself are of concern, another culprit of postural related pain is muscle imbalance. Sitting in a slouched posture causes adaptive shortening of your pectoralis muscles (chest), sternocleidomastoid (neck), upper trapezius, levator scapulae, suboccipital muscles (posterior neck), and your hip flexors. What that means is these muscles become tight and often painful in response to their shortened state from prolonged improper posture. While these muscles become tight, the following muscles become lengthened and weak: rhomboids (upper mid back), lower trapezius (mid back), serratus anterior (mid back along the rib cage), the deep neck flexors (anterior neck), and the abdominal muscles.
The rhomboids along with the lower trapezius and serratus anterior play a particularly important role in proper posture as they control the position of the scapula. When these muscles are weak, they fatigue much quicker and are unable to do their job effectively, which combined with shortened pectoralis muscles leads to poor positioning of the scapulae, rounded shoulder posture, and increased kyphosis throughout the upper back; this posture causes increased strain on the spine and perpetuates muscle imbalances.
When the deep neck flexors are weak and the suboccipital neck muscles are tight, this results in forward head posture which increases strain on the cervical spine. You might feel neck pain at the base of your skull or along your neck towards your shoulder blades. When the abdominals are weak and your hip flexors are tight, your lumbar spine often demonstrates an increased lordosis which is not optimal for proper posture and causes low back pain.
What can I do to correct my posture?
- Practice proper posture in a mirror.
You can do this early in the morning, before bed, and on your lunch break; finding the time to reset your muscles back into a more optimal posture is a key foundation for building an automatic habit. Using a mirror at first is great because you can physically see and correct if your shoulders are rounded, or your head is forward.
- Create a more ergonomic workspace.
Workplace ergonomics is its own entire topic, and for an excellent reason – proper posture in the workplace is crucial for preventing chronic pain, particularly of the neck and low back. Here are a few things to get you started. If you find yourself slouching back into your chair, try a lumbar support roll to help you sit up. If your screen sits low, try raising it to about eye level, preventing you from having to tilt your neck down all day. You can also try adjusting your chair so that your knees are at 90-degree angles and your feet rest comfortably on the ground.
- Adjust your rearview mirror to cue you to sit up while driving.
A lot of us get into our car and throw posture out the window. We slouch over the wheel on long drives without ever realizing it, then wonder why we are so sore when we step out to stretch. One way to remind yourself is to set your rearview mirror to a position where you can safely see out the back while sitting in proper posture. If you start to slouch, you will notice in your mirror that your view has changed, and you can no longer see the top of your head in the mirror – that’s your cue to sit back up into a better posture again.
- Hold your phone higher when texting or try a phone stand for videos.
This may seem silly at first, but constantly looking down to text or watch videos on your phone is not doing your neck any favors. Raising your phone up can reduce the amount of time throughout the day that you are putting your neck in an injury-prone position. Likewise, if you’re planning to watch videos or spend a lot of time on your phone, you may want to invest in a phone stand and then set it on a raised surface so you can watch with comfort.
- Consult a physical therapist!
Physical therapists are trained in postural assessments and can help you identify specific areas for you to address with exercise and stretching to keep your muscles at the optimal balance of strong and flexible.
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Disclaimer: This article is not medical advice or meant to be used to diagnose or treat in anyway. Always consult with your healthcare providers if you are experiencing pain or changes in your health to allow for proper evaluation, assessment, and treatment. This information is for educational purposes only. In addition, you should always consult your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise, diet, nutrition, medical, fitness, or wellness program.
Check back soon to learn 5 Daily Exercises for Better Posture!
