The modern day life style and the unhealthy habits that people exhibit these days have caused many health related problem to the present generation. One of such issue is the improper body posture. This is a resultant effect of many ill health practices, and has severe consequences. An improper body posture not only adversely affects the personality of an individual, but also results in medical problems such as back ache and accelerated aging process. Hence to remain healthy, it is important that people aim for a perfect body posture.
Here is a list of ten such tips which might be helpful in getting a proper body posture.
10. Moving in regular intervals
In today’s era, most of the people are employed in jobs which require huge hours in front of computer, or the jobs which engage the employees in desk jobs. Sitting in same position for long hours have severe consequences, one of which is that the muscles tire out being in the same position. The resultant effect is that the person begins to slump down. The only remedy to this is “more body movement”. Hence, it is needed that one makes it a habit to get up from the regular seating position and move for a minute or two. This should be done at least once in every half an hour....
9. Sitting on chairs with sufficient lumbar support in a correct seating posture.
Again considering the fact that sitting for long hours at a particular position is a requirement for most of the jobs these days, it is important that the chair in which the person is seated shall be such that it provides ample lumbar support. The chair’s backrest should have natural curves that fit into the hollow of the lower back. The chair must be such that when a person sits on the chair; his/her spine should be in contact with the backrest right from the tailbone to the upper back.
Also the person shall sit in a proper seating position; for example while working on a computer, the eye level should be as if viewing the top of its screen. Both the arms and wrists shall be properly supported by the chair and table, while the head shall rest on the chair. It shall also be ensured that while sitting, the body weight is on the back of their upper thighs, and the pelvis is slightly tilted forward.
8. Sleeping on the back on a firm mattress
This is a childhood advice that almost everyone gets from their parents and elders. However by the reaching the age of maturity most of them forget this and start sleeping on the sides. The latter is an unhealthy habit, and hence must be definitely avoided. Out of many benefits of sleeping straight on the back, an improvement in the body posture is probably the most important. When a person sleeps straight, his/her spinal cord gets complete support from the bed. Such a position of sleep also ensures proper alignment of shoulders. (i.e. while sleeping on the back the shoulders get properly aligned with the body). If this practice is continued for prolonged period, the body gradually starts retaining its perfect posture.
It is also suggested that the person should preferably sleep on a firm mattress as it provides a better support while sleeping.
7. Proper use of pillows while sleeping
Despite the regular instructions from the doctors and other practitioners, people often tend to forget the importance of selecting the right pillow for themselves. Not doing so results in many physical problems, such as headache, and may sometimes even lead to insomnia.
As far as the improvement in body posture is considered, using a proper pillow has a great role to play. The type of pillow which might be perfect for a person depends upon his/her body construction and his/her sleeping style. If a person sleeps on his/her back for most of the time, then a flat pillow helps a person gain a better body posture, but just the opposite helps the person to gain a better body posture if he/she mostly sleeps on his/her sides.
One can also place a pillow below his/her knees (if sleeping on back) to his/her reduce strain on lower lumbar region.
6. Avoiding the high heels
High heels are undoubtedly the first love of ladies. The women find a sense of self confidence while equipped with the stylish high heeled shoes, however ironically the shoes which apparently enhance the self confidence of women often result in throwing the body out of alignment. Regular uses of high heels alter the centre of gravity of the body, and the body loses its perfect posture. Hence, if a better body posture is desired, the women (or anyone) must set aside their lust for high heels. If possible one must totally shun the high heels; if not then flat heels must be preferred over pencil heels. Also heels must be of smaller types, and shall be worn only when required.
5. Regular Exercising
Regular exercising helps a person get a better body posture. It has been observed that people who exercise daily have generally a better posture than otherwise similar people who spend most of their time in sitting. Therefore to improve the body posture, it is suggested that the person shall dedicate around 10-15 minutes of their daily routine for regular exercise.
Various exercises have been suggested to improve body posture. A person who wants to improve the body posture shall regularly do few of these exercises. However while exercising; the person shall be aware of his/her limits. At no cost shall he over-strain himself. It is also important that the person carry out the various steps properly as prescribed.
Excluding the above, the person shall stretch his/her body regularly in continuous intervals to relive the muscular fatigue.
4. Avoiding certain unhealthy habits
The modern life style has inculcated into the people (especially the youth and the youngsters), many unhealthy habits. These habits lead them to various problems. One of them is the improper body posture.
One of the most important characteristic of today’s youth is their love for their mobiles and other gadgets. They use those day and night, but using these gadgets in an improper manner often lead to various health related issues. Hence the improper ways of using these gadgets such as tilting the head while talking on the phone or slouching the head forward while texting on a smart phone shall be avoided.
Other such habits include keeping ones hands in his/her pockets for long hours, bending forward while using the laptops etc.
3. Maintaining a correct standing posture
Effort shall be taken to maintain a correct standing posture. To ensure this it is important to have a proper knowledge of the correct standing position. A perfect standing body posture is standing with feet shoulder apart without locking the knees, head in line with the spine and eyes straight and ahead and chin parallel to the floor.
To maintain a proper standing posture, one must distribute the weight evenly on both the feet. Some distance shall be maintained between both the feet, so as to make them align with the shoulders. Many suggest that to ensure whether a proper body posture has been achieved or not, one might stand against the wall.
Many methods have been stated to maintain a correct standing posture. Some suggest the “Balloon Method”, where a person stands up and assumes that a balloon is tied to the crown of the head, and it is pulling the head upwards towards the sky. Others suggest standing along the wall and rotating the shoulder blades, so that they may touch the wall.
2. Trying to avoid any kind of stress
This step is easier said than done, this generation faces stress in almost all the spheres of life, be it personal or professional, and hence it is nearly impossible for them to avoid all the stress they encounter in the entire life span. But still it is important that one does not let the stress overshadow his/her personality. This is important because if the stress level of a person becomes too high, its affect becomes apparent on the body. It might result in the tension on the muscles which are most commonly used, and thereby cause slouching.
1. Being Confident
An old saying goes as “that one who looks into the eyes while speaking is confident about what he is speaking”. This statement probably sums up my statement that a confident person looks straight, which in turn means that the person has a better body posture.
It has been observed that a person who is confident exhibits a better body posture than a similar person who lacks confidence. It might be concluded that body posture and confidence level are dependent upon each other, while on one hand, a poor posture decreases the level of confidence in a person, on the other hand a person with lower confidence level often exhibit poor body posture. Therefore a person, who wishes to have a good body posture, must remain confident in all the activities he/she carries out.
No comments:
Post a Comment