As I’m sure you’re aware many of us have particularly poor posture. There are a variety of factors that contribute to dysfunctional posture. One of the primary factors is the design of a lot of seats, which we generally slouch or slump into. Another factor that often plays a role is when we use a computer we tend to lean to one side, which puts us further out of alignment.
To counter the problem we need to become more aware of our posture and the importance of maintaining a good postural position. This of course is easier said than done, especially when our minds are already cluttered with numerous thoughts and stresses. Unfortunately if we fail to maintain good posture, our neuro-muscular system forgets how to activate the postural muscles and we find it difficult to efficiently and easily maintain the correct posture. With these spinal stabilizers out of action we leave ourselves open to injury, back problems in particular.
The key is to maintain a neutral posture. The spine should have its’ natural curvature, your weight should be distributed evenly between feet. A straight vertical line should intersect each of the five postural indicators, the ankle, knee, hip and shoulder joints and the ear. The shoulders should be drawn back slightly, which will activate your rhomboids (an important postural muscle of the mid back).
If you maintain this posture throughout the day you will not only alleviate injury, but you will have a much stronger core (lower back and abdominal region).
