We’ve teamed up with Medibank to help y’all with this adulting business, (for as lil’ as just $11 a fortnight for simple, flexible health insurance). You’re doing a good job – that’s a given – but a little guidance never goes astray.
There’s more to worry about when it comes to bad posture besides looking like you DGAF. It can cause back, neck and shoulder injuries, give you headaches, worsen depression and stress, cause digestive issues like acid reflux and hernias and can even restrict blood / oxygen flow which can affect your breathing. Not hot.
And if you’re reading this, we reckon you know that your posture isn’t where it needs to be. So, before we continue, get up from your horizontal position that comes with late-night scrolls + four complimentary chin rolls and SIT UP STRAIGHT.
Oh yeah, you’ve heard those three words before, haven’t ya? Is that mum’s concern for your wellbeing masked with complete pest-like annoyance that you’re remembering? Well, buckle up and make your parents proud by reading the following pointers on how to be a stand-up citizen.
Hang on by a thread
Pretend that there’s a piece of string pulling your head up to the ceiling. LOL, but apparently effective, if you can remember to visualise this 24/7, that is.
Stretch yourself before you wreck yourself
Besides stretching being really bloody important to your pre-fitness regime, it’s also hella good for your posture. See a range of posture stretches you can do and why they’re good for you here, incl. many yoga faves like Shoulder Openers and Supal Spinal Twist.
Create a balancing act
This is a try-it-at-home (and absolutely not in public) one: balance a book on top of your head while walking. It makes it impossible to slouch. All the cool kids (aka fashion models) are doing it, I hear.
Lemme see you work work work work work
Plenty of us either have desk jobs or side hustles that require us to sit for extended periods of time. It’s important that your working space accounts for this. Here’s how:
– Make sure you have an ergonomic chair that’s A+ for your back (if that’s not an option, try a pillow in between your back and the chair).
– Hoist your computer up onto a platform (book, wooden boxes, laptop stand) to ensure your screen is at a height that doesn’t enable you to look down and cook your neck.
– Keep feet on the ground or on a footrest.
– Take standing breaks wherever possible. Even if you forget, nature will always call.
– Sitting on the edge of your seat will create better posture by default. Srsly, try it.
Make your sleepy time, posture time
There’s a reason they call those epic mattresses posturepedics – they provide comfort and overall support for your fragile bod. Also, try and sleep on your back – we know that when you’re in REM you don’t know wtf you’re doing, but it’s a good starting point. And the pillows? Don’t overdo it. The more you stack, the more your neck will curve into an unnatural position. There’s a reason you feel all crooked after being shooed to the couch.
Watch your back
Applying tape to your back can help your shoulder posture if you’re one who wears clothing sufficient enough to cover the thing. Basically it’s a strip of Kinesiology tape across the top of your shoulder blades (just underneath your neck), applied when your shoulder blades are squeezed together. As you can see here, it’s a two-person job. That being said, it’s worth consulting your physio to get it done / see if you even need it. A drag I know, but it’s a benefit that can come with private health cover so get on that.
Stop being a phoney
We are all addicted to our smartphones – duly noted – however, it’s screwing up your posture and we’ll be damned if those devices steal anything more than our dignity at 4am. Try holding your phone out at head height when using it instead of looking down and messing up your neck. Same thing goes for tablets – prop it up perpendicular to the table when reading etc.
Call in the big guns
If you’ve really done a number on yourself, you might need to see a chiropractor who can help improve all kinds of postural problems including: damage to normal curvature on the mid back, low back and neck, pelvis / hip unleveling, forward head posture or, in more extreme cases, hunchback or scoliosis.
Understandable that medical practitioners aren’t exactly cheap, but you can get 60-70% back (depending on your level of cover) on things like Physio, Chiro, Remedial Massage and more with Medibank from as lil’ as $11 a fortnight here.
Photo: Miss Congeniality.
