Is “Pandemic Posture” Aging You? The Effects of Slumping & Ways to Improve Your Posture Family Health
Since March, due to the coronavirus pandemic, people the world over have typically spent more time on the couch watching Netflix and slumped over computers while working from home in less than ergonomically correct situations. With some gyms closed, this has led to less activity and more sitting, hunching and less walking. All of these factors can lead to poor posture.
The latest figures show that $16.7 billion was spent on cosmetic procedures in the U.S. All of that tweaking of facial and body parts means nothing if poor posture ages you or reveals your real age. In fact, the wrong posture can even create an unflattering silhouette, which kind of defeats the purpose of the latest fat melting and zapping techniques.
The wrong posture is bad for your health and even your frame of mind. Here are some quick fixes for incorrect posture and the effects poor posture can have on your health.
Effects of Poor Posture on Health
- Poor posture deprives oxygen from your body and brain.
- When you slump, your brain, heart and lungs cannot function efficiently. Oxygen equals energy.
- It weakens bones and muscles causing pain and injury.
- Forward head posture can cause back pain and other issues. It can be the culprit of tech neck. Every time you lean over even 60 degrees, whether over your phone, the computer or good book, you’re adding up to 60 pounds of pressure on your neck.
- It can make you depressed.
- Poor posture can result in increased stress, potentially leading to chronic stress. Correct posture in the face of adversity maintains self-esteem and elevates mood.
3 Quick Fixes for Great Posture
- Develop a strong core.
- Research the exercises that will help you develop a strong core to support your back. This doesn’t mean you need to develop a six-pack.
- Aim to make your core as strong as possible for your age.
Correcting Round Shoulders
Stretch your chest. Using an open doorframe, place your bent arms against either side of the door with your elbows in line with your shoulders. Adopt a staggered stance and push your chest forward until you feel a stretch in the chest. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds or until the muscles relax before forcibly pushing your elbows against the doorframe to create muscular tension (try not to generate any movement) for five seconds. Relax and increase the stretch. Repeat this three times before holding the stretch in place for 30 to 60 seconds.
Walking With Your Pelvis Forward
Stretch the hip flexors. Get in a lunge position with your back knee on the floor. Maintaining an upright body position, squeeze your glute muscle on the back leg and push the hips forwards. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds, increasing the depth of the stretch as you adapt. To increase the stretch, try taking the arms up overhead.
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