16 Jun Sitting Posture. Keep it upright
It really shouldn’t be hard to sit down, however when we sit for long periods of time at home or at work, we tend to find ourselves in a slumped, slouched or rounded posture which places a lot of strain on the spine. When this kind of strain is repeated day after day it becomes what’s called “micro-traumatic” to the spine and can lead to health complications later in life, such as chronic pain, breathing difficulties and can even affect our heart functionality. Fortunately there is a simple trick into getting your body upright whilst seated, allowing the curves of the spine to do their job and handle your body weight with ease. An upright posture also allows the spinal cord running through your spine to be under minimal strain allowing for healthy neurological function.
Watch the video below to see Dr Michael Bloom (Chiropractor) demonstrate how to sit with a healthy upright posture.
Another technique to help that rounded posture after sitting all day is to stretch your chest and pectoral muscles out. When we sit and round our shoulders we are actually shortening the muscle fibres of our pecs/chest and holding them in this position for long periods of time. This actually trains those muscle fibres to stay in that shortened position which contributes further to poor posture as they will constantly be pulling our shoulders forward. Stretching these fibres is very easy to do and can help to make yourself feel more upright and can contribute to a healthier posture.
Watch Dr Michael Bloom demonstrate just how easy it is to hold a stretch for these muscle fibres to bring back those shoulders and allow for an upright posture.
NOTE: When stretching it should generally be done for 30 seconds AT LEAST and repeated 3 times over. It is best to try and relax the muscle you are stretching to maximise the effect of the stretch.
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