Having a desk job that requires you to sit all day long can be very damaging for your body. But you already know that, don’t you? If you’ve had a desk job for a few years you probably know how painful it can become to sit down for more than 2 hours. Your back, your neck, your shoulders and your lumbar area suffer especially when you have an incorrect sitting position.
In this article, we will bring to your attention a few simple ways to improve your posture. One of the most popular choices of people who deal with back pain due to an incorrect position is the posture brace. However, there are other options that everyone should consider, too.
Why is it so important to have a correct posture?
There are a few obvious reasons why you should be careful about your back posture: the way you look, the way you feel, the way you inspire confidence or uncertainty. Except for these things that can ruin your relationship with others and create a negative impression, there are some physical factors that should get you worried.
If you choose to ignore the back pain, it can lead to more severe conditions in time. Having an incorrect posture only makes your back more painful and degrades your mood. If you’re slouching right now, while reading this article, you have to take measures right away.
Read the 5 tips below and put them in practice if you want to correct your posture.
5 ways to improve your posture
- Exercise while working – you probably heard that exercising is the best thing you can do to maintain a healthy body and mind. But you don’t have time, because you work a lot, right?
The thing is that you don’t have to work out like crazy in order to improve your posture, reduce the back pain and feel better. You can simply practice subtle shoulder and chest exercises, lift some small weights and uncross your legs when sitting down. You can do that while reading a document, reading reports or while planning your next tasks. The truth is that you can always find a few minutes to do some exercises if you really want to.
- Use a posture brace – posture braces are well-known for their ability to improve one’s posture. However, they offer best results when combined with sports. There are plenty of posture brace models for various purposes and with different specifications.
A posture brace can usually help you keep your shoulders back, keep your spine straight and align your spine properly. Such an accessory can be a bit uncomfortable to wear the first time, because it practically forces you to change the position you were used to. People who wear a posture brace say that they notice changes in their back posture after a few days.
- Use lumbar support – lumbar supports are available in a variety of shapes. There are the ergonomic pillows, the portable lumbar back supports that help you maintain a normal spine curvature and the adjustable back support chairs. Regardless of the option you choose, you have to make sure that your back is well supported when you sit at your desk.
- Stretch – stretching the muscles in your entire body can help you alleviate the back pain and improve your posture in time. The main reason most of us tend to slouch is that our back, neck or shoulders hurt and we try to protect ourselves from that pain. But the more you slouch, the bigger your problem is.
When you form a stretching routine, your back won’t hurt as much as before and your muscles will stop being so tight.
- Find a higher position for your computer screen– when you have a desk job, you constantly look down because your computer screen is placed lower than your eyes’ level. If you adjust it or simply place something stable underneath the display, your head will align with your spine and your eyes will look forward. You would be amazed to see how much of your back pain is reduced when you don’t bend forward because of your screen.
These are just a few of the ways that can help you improve your posture and feel better about yourself. Also, working out, swimming or having a massage once a week are amazing ways of improving your health, working on your spine alignment and your mood. Don’t let your back become too painful and start taking measures right away. You will notice the difference in a matter of days.