As we break up for the festive period, perhaps we won't be giving much thought to our posture and how over time it can really cause problems. We sink into a comfortable position at work and home and find it hard to get out of bad habits.
Make it a New Year's resolution to check your posture and see if you are guilty of any of these common problems:
1) Slouching - As the day wears on we sink lower and lower in our chair. Can you get up, make a cuppa, go to the photocopier? Whatever, just try and give yourself a mini desk break to reset your seating position.
2) Sticking your bottom out - High heels promote false posture and move our natural centre of gravity making it more comfortable to stick the bottom out. Ditch the heels ha! Just try and have days without heels and definitely ditch them when you get home.
3) Text neck - we use that phone everywhere don't we? Restaurants, on the bus, walking down the street. Have you ever wondered how long you are using it for and what it's doing to your neck in the process. Enjoy the company of others in restaurants, watch the world go by on the bus, and look around you as you walk down the street, you may be surprised to see something you've never noticed before.
4) Rounded and tight shoulders - these two come hand in hand if you work at a desk and over time can actually shorten your height. Your shoulders can hold a lot of tension so whenever you feel your posture going the wrong way, straighten up, pull your shoulders up to your ears whilst breathing in. Give a good release of breathe out as you drop your shoulders. Repeat a few times if necessary.
Check out this article for more posture problems and exercises to help correct them:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/common-posture-mistakes-and-fixes/
If you would like to arrange a free onsite massage trial at your workplace for up to 8 members of staff please contact me.
