7 Things You Need To Know If You Have Back And Neck Pain From Poor Posture
chandrama deshmukh 
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We have all heard about the benefits of a good posture. A good posture really matters to keep the body healthy and free from aches and pains. A bad posture, on the other hand, leads to the improper functioning of our muscles and joints, adversely impacting our health as we grow older. It can cause chronic pain, stiffness, and may misalign the body. A bad posture will make you look less attractive as well.
So, here are some tips that will help you maintain a good posture and remain healthy!
1. Walk Barefoot Often And Wear Comfortable Shoes
Our feet form the foundation of maintaining a good posture. Walking barefoot strengthens our ankles, feet, and toes, thereby providing stability and good balance, which helps to improve our posture. After all, humans were naturally meant to walk with bare feet! But since we’re all civilized now, it is important to buy the right footwear for your feet, which would essentially include avoiding shoes with thick soles.
2. Add Calcium To Your Diet
A bad posture mainly affects your neck and back and can lead to a condition known as osteoporosis and puts you at risk of potential vertebra fractures (1). Calcium is known for its role as a bone-builder and helps to prevent such conditions (2). Some calcium-rich foods include: spinach, nuts, beans, and dairy products.
3. Consume Vitamin D
Vitamin D aids in the proper utilization and absorption of calcium (3). Hence, our bones also need vitamin D, which can usually be obtained from food and sunlight. However, in case of a deficiency supplements should be taken.
4. Lift Weights
Lifting weights does not always mean struggling at the gym! You can try and lift as many things in your daily life, like carrying a backpack or going grocery shopping. One can avoid using a trolley in malls and opt for carrying the bags instead. Lifting weights basically helps to increase our bone density.
5. Change Your Pose
Sitting in one position for many hours can cause our muscles to tire out and become stiff. It is important to take simple periodic breaks to stretch and move around, which will help to offset the impact of sitting in one position. You can stretch while sitting every couple of hours and take two to three breaks away from your desk. Only a few minutes is required to relieve cramped muscles. This helps in improving the blood flow and aids in correcting the posture.
6. Improve Your Balance
The best way in which you can improve your posture is to practice techniques that improve your balance. Balance can be improved by doing exercises that strengthen your core, such as concentrating on regions like the muscles on your abdomen or lower back. In day to day life, a good posture can also be attained by standing upright with one’s shoulders pulled back at all times.
7. Exercise
Yoga combined with cardio can help improve your posture and get rid of any pain. Here are some exercises that will help in the abovementioned problems:
Planks:
Building a strong core contributes towards a good posture. The classic plank is a core exercise that helps to tone various parts of the body.
To do planks, you must begin by placing your hands and knees on the ground. Now place your palms under your shoulders and extend both legs straight behind you. Your toes should be tucked under, just like you do in the pushup position. You must pull your abdominal muscles in so as to maintain balance and gaze down at the floor.
Hold the plank position until you cannot anymore, then repeat after a minute. The pressure to balance should be on your forearms and not on your hands.
The Classic Crunch With A Twist:
Assume a normal crunch position – lie flat on your back and then bend your knees, placing your feet on the ground. Interlock your fingers behind your head. Raise your right shoulder off the floor while breathing out slowly and rotate your upper body towards the left. Slowly take a new breath and lower your shoulder to the initial position on the floor. Repeat this exercise on your left as well.
Squats:
Squats too can help improve your balance and, hence, posture. To do a squat correctly, stand upright and place your hands in front of you (interlock your fingers for additional support). Then, while keeping your back straight, bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Make sure that your abdomen is pushed back and that your knees do not cross your toes. 10-15 squats a day can help improve one’s posture.
Bad posture can ruin your progress as well as your good looks. It puts unnatural strain and stress on your joints and muscles. This stress makes them stiff and overworked, which, in turn, causes you to be saddled with problems like lower back pain, neck pain, achy shoulders, migraines, and even digestive system ailments. But by following some of the easy exercises and healthy methods given above, we can maintain a good posture and a healthy lifestyle!
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