13 Nov Reduce Pain by Improving Your Posture

Do you pay attention to your posture?  Not only is your posture important as you work out, it is also important for you to maintain proper posture throughout the day.  In fact, failure to maintain proper posture can lead to a whole host of health issues that you may not realize. 

Problems with Poor Posture

Slouching on a regular basis – whether you are on a treadmill, sitting at a desk or simply taking a walk in your backyard – can place too much strain on your ligaments and joints.  As a result, you can experience the following problems:

• · Back pain
• · Improper alignment of bones
• · Blood vessel and nerve compression
• · Fatigue
• · Spinal problems, particularly in the discs
• · Problems with major organs

It may seem strange that poor posture could lead to so many problems, but the reality is that poor posture causes your body weight to be improperly distributed.  The excessive strain this places on certain parts of your body will eventually take its toll if you do not take steps to correct the problem.

Improving Your Posture

The good news is that improving your posture is not as difficult as you might think.  In fact, some of the steps you can take are actually quite simple.  If you suffer from poor posture, try any of these methods:

• · Sit in an ergonomic chair with lumbar support when sitting at a desk
• · Stand up from your chair now and again in order to stretch
• · Take steps to strengthen your core muscles with exercises such as pilates and yoga

Most importantly, you should try to be more aware of your posture on a daily basis.  Namely, you should make an effort to keep your shoulders down rather than hunching them toward your ears.  You should also take steps to prevent your head from jutting forward and you should keep your abs pulled slightly in.