What your Momma Told You

When you were a kid you may have heard your mom say, “sit up straight”, “don’t slouch”, or a number of other comments reminding you to watch your posture. Maybe now if you have kids your hear yourself saying the same thing as your child watches TV, plays video games, etc. 

Does this sound familiar? Well mom was right. Posture is important it allows our spine to be strong and support our body.  When we have poor posture our muscles, ligaments and joints have to work harder to support our bodies. This extra work can lead to soft tissue injuries (strain/sprains), headaches and even the onset of disc and joint injuries.

Proper posture keeps our bodies able to work at their best and helps our joints to age better and who doesn’t want that.  Professional athletes work endlessly to perfect their form and posture for their sport because they know that form and posture are essential to have their bodies performing their best. Now we all may not be athletes but having our bodies working at their best will help make sure we are able to be active and healthy for years to come.

Here are some tips from the American Chiropractic Association on proper posture.

How do I sit properly?

• Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest, if they don't reach the floor.
• Don't cross your legs. Your ankles should be in front of your knees.
• Keep a small gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat.
• Your knees should be at or below the level of your hips.
• Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low- and mid-back or use a back support.
• Relax your shoulders and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
• Avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time.

How do I stand properly?

• Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.
• Keep your knees slightly bent.
• Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Let your arms hang naturally down the sides of the body.
• Stand straight and tall with your shoulders pulled backward.
• Tuck your stomach in.
• Keep your head level-your earlobes should be in line with your shoulders. Do not push your head forward, backward, or to the side.
• Shift your weight from your toes to your heels, or one foot to the other, if you have to stand for a long time.

If you try the above suggestions and find they are hard or that you still are having pain, talk to a heath care professional. Chiropractors are posture experts and sometime some simple exercises and treatment can help you to feel better, age well and be happy