What is good posture?
Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or laying down. Good posture helps to minimise the amount of strain imposed on our muscles, joints and ligaments whilst performing our daily activities.
Ideal posture:
- Minimises muscle strain by keeping bones and joints in optimal alignment.
- Decreases the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces caused by overload and overstrain.
- Minimises ligamentous strain on the joints of the spine and limbs.
- Minimises fatigue due to more efficient use of muscles, allowing the body to use less energy.
- Helps prevents joint and muscular pain and headaches.
- Contributes to a more positive and confident appearance.
Ideal posture requirements:
An understanding of what constitutes good posture, which leads to postural awareness and conscious correction.
Adequate muscle and joint flexibility to achieve ideal alignment.
Balanced muscle tone in the pelvic, spinal, neck and shoulder regions.
With practice, you can retrain your body to maintain the correct posture for standing, sitting, and lying down.
What is the correct way to stand?
Most people when asked to stand with good posture immediately stand tall, arching their spine and pulling their shoulders back. This can be uncomfortable and is a far cry from an ideal standing posture. Keep it simple – try using puppet posture.
Puppet posture is a term used to simplify the process of assuming correct posture. It works especially well with children as they can identify easily.
Imagine that you are a puppet with a string coming out of the top of your head. Gently lift the imaginary string upwards to lengthen your spine. Your arms and shoulders will assume the best posture they can for your current spinal function. Watch yourself in the mirror to visualise what you are achieving. Practice regularly, it gets easier as your spine and muscles gain control.
Sleeping Posture
Ideal sleeping posture is most easily achieved when sleeping on your back or side. Avoid sleeping on your stomach as this can cause neck strain. Use a quality contoured pillow that provides adequate support to your head and neck while sleeping.
When arising from bed, move to the side of the bed, laying on your side. Transfer into a sitting position by using your arms to push yourself up sideways while swinging your legs off the side of the bed.
When your back is painful you may place a pillow under your knees (when on your back) or between your knees (when on your side).