There aren’t many resolutions we can successfully achieve without even getting off the sofa, but posture correction is one of them! Just making the decision to sit or stand up straight is one of the best and simplest changes we can make for our health, but despite this, slouching remains a national habit! The problem with slouching, is that we tend to not know when we’re doing it. Hunched shoulders quickly become the norm, as do the symptoms that they entail. Weakened muscles, trapped nerves and shallow breathing are all side effects of slouching. They result in a myriad of symptoms (aches, pains, headaches and fatigue, to name but a few) that we might just accept as par for the course, or mistakenly put down to ageing or busy hectic lifestyles. Knowing the subtle repercussions of bad posture, it’s easy to see why choosing to stand up straighter could be the single best (and easiest) New Years resolution you ever make. Need a bit more persuading? Standing and sitting up straight helps improve the amount of air you take in and how much gets into your bloodstream (blood flow at the bottom of the lungs is about 6 times stronger than at the top). This can help you feel altogether more energised, as well as reducing some of the symptoms of shallow breathing (tension and aches to name but a few). Research has also indicated that negative self-talk and bad posture may be inextricably linked, so simply reminding yourself to pull your shoulders back could help people feel more upbeat and energetic. But how to put posture into practice? It’s not enough to just pull your shoulders back as and when you might remember. Posture takes some practice. So, our top five tips for better posture are: Stretch often throughout the day This will help to improve flexibility and reduce muscle tension which can lead to slouching. Wear a posture shirt
The Posture Shirt 2.0 provides daily support, whether you’re sitting, standing or on the move. The patented NeuroBand-technology activates and stimulates shoulder and back muscles to improve your posture while you work, rest or exercise. Sit on the floor
Archetypal postures such as the lotus position can help with developing good posture and keeping the spine straight. Try sitting on the floor instead of the sofa in the evening as a way of putting this into practice.
Look up
According to the Posture Queen, it pays to make sure you mobile phone comes to the eyes, not the eyes to the phone. Likewise, food comes to the mouth not the mouth to the food. Upgrade your bra
According to Tim Hutchful from the British Chiropractic Association “bras that don’t fit properly or offer enough support can affect the shoulders and chest and may cause back pain as you get older.’ Sponsored by ActivePosture
