How To Have Better Posture

Fixing your poor posture is not as easy as sitting up straighter. Because we spend so much time in a bad posture, implementing posture exercises and mindfulness into our lives is the real solution. Much like bad posture becomes a habit, we must also build good posture over time with the cumulative effect of small life changes.

Why Good Posture Is Important

Posture is about much more than simply trying to make yourself look better while sitting at your desk at work. In the short term, bad posture can cause a host of aches and pains in the operative areas of your neck, shoulders and back. Shifting into poor posture unnaturally places more weight on your operative areas, which aren’t made to hold. These aches and pains can cause significant discomfort and are signs of muscle tension and soreness. 

These symptoms can become severe in the long run. If you continually practice bad posture, your immune system’s efforts to heal it will cause irritation and inflammation in your neck muscles. This irritation and inflammation can lead to arthritis in your joints if it occurs frequently. Bad posture may not be all that significant in the short term, but if practiced regularly over years and years, it can create permanent damage. 

What Is the Fastest Way to Improve My Posture?

The fastest way to improve your posture is to make better posture a habit. Posture isn’t something you can change instantly but a habit you must cultivate. It would likely take 4 to 6 weeks to see a significant change for the better in your posture. It may take some time to notice a significant positive change in your posture, but by being very mindful of your habits, you will soon notice the benefits.

How Can I Improve My Posture in General?

Helpful tips for improving your posture include:

• Being mindful of your posture; 
• Keeping your surfaces at a comfortable working height; 
• Wearing comfortable and low-heeled shoes. 

These actions can make you more aware of your posture. They might not be grand, sweeping changes, but even these small things can directly improve your posture. 

You can also help your posture by staying active and maintaining a healthy weight. Inactivity and being overweight can harm your posture by making your muscles work harder to stay in a healthy position. By working on these general principles, you can form the foundation of a healthy posture habit. 

Helpful Tips for a Better Posture

Better Posture While Sitting at Your Desk

You can improve your posture while at your desk by sitting back in your chair and cushioning your mid to lower back with a rolled towel or cushion while placing your feet squarely on the floor. 

Better Posture While Texting

You might place stress on your neck while you text by tilting your head downwards. If you find yourself doing this regularly, give your neck a break by bringing your phone up to your eyes or stretching your neck out.  

Better Posture While Driving

Do not recline too far while you drive. It may be comfy, but it can be detrimental to your posture over long drives. Cushion your lower to mid back and bend your knees while keeping them roughly at hip level to improve your posture.   

Better Posture While Sleeping 

Achieving better posture while sleeping depends on whether you sleep on your side or back. If you sleep on your side, slightly bend your knees and use a pillow to align your head and neck with your spine. If you sleep on your back, avoid overly thick pillows.

How To Have Better Posture 

Exercises are one of the best ways to better your posture.

Child’s Pose

This yoga pose helps the neck and back deal with the pressures of bad posture by releasing any accumulated tension. Kneel on the ground, sit back on your ankles, bend so your forehead approaches the floor and reach past your head with your shoulders. 

High and Side Plank

These two plank exercises improve your core muscles to strengthen your back and better your posture. For a high plank, get into a push-up position with straight arms and legs. For side planks, position yourself on your side with straight legs, using one bent arm to support your weight on your elbow.

Thoracic Spine Rotation

This twisting exercise helps relieve tension while improving your mobility and stability for better posture. To perform, lie on your side with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle in front of you. Extend your arms in front of you and stretch your top arm to the other side of your body while keeping your legs and upper body as stable as possible. 

How Often Should I Do Posture Exercises?

You should perform some of the exercises listed above at least once a day. Posture is a habit, and the only real way to create one is to practice it every day to the best of your ability. 

How To Improve Posture While Gaming and Reading

Avoid sitting in one place as much as possible while gaming or reading. It would help if you switched positions as often as possible, took walks to give yourself a break, touched the floor with your feet and stretched your muscles from time to time. You’ll be in a much healthier place when you finish your gaming or reading session than you would have been otherwise. 

How To Get Used To Good Posture

The only way to get used to having good posture is to develop it. Like any habit, it may seem daunting now, but with practice and dedication, it will become a natural part of your life. So give it a chance and trust the process. If you do, you will notice significant changes for the better, not only in how you look at your desk but also in your health. You’ll be doing your muscles and joints a huge favor by literally taking a heavy load off them.