In this age of working from home and perhaps not having the most ergonomic desk environment to support you, it’s important to consider ways to continuously improve your overall posture.

Poor posture can manifest over time, causing muscle tension, which in turn causes pain and even long-term damage. Poor posture can also cause stress to your spine, which consequently puts pressure on the other bones in your body too. In essence, a poor posture can lead to many complications and therefore it’s essential for everyone to consider – young or old.

So, let’s discuss a few ways that you can work on improving your posture and the overall health of your body…

Standing tall

When we stand up, we don’t often think about the movements we are making or how we appear in this position. Therefore, being mindful of how we stand and walk around is key in improving our posture.

As you stand, imagine your spine lengthening up towards to sky, let the crown of your head float up and relax your shoulders down away from your ears. Tuck your chin in towards your throat a little and subtly tuck your belly button back towards your spine. You should instantly feel a few centimetres taller and more confident in your stance.

Sitting well at your desk

It’s tempting to slouch when we sit down. Especially when we are feeling tired or de-motivated. But, slouching will cause havoc on your posture and will end up de-motivating you even more!

So, next time you sit, move your bottom all the way to the back of your chair, so that your spine is straight. Try placing a small cushion or blanket behind your mid-back to fill the gap in the natural curve in your spine. Bend your knees at a right angle and keep them at the same height or slightly higher than your hips. Put both feet down flat on the floor.

Although this may feel a little uncomfortable at first – it means that you have not been sitting with the correct posture already! Therefore, in time your body will adapt and find comfort in sitting properly.

Stretching to improve your posture

Yoga and stretching exercises can really help to relieve tightness and improve the flexibility of your body – leading to better posture and less discomfort.

If you haven’t tried yoga before, then there are many yoga videos online to guide you on the basics. Child’s pose, forward folds, Downward Dog, High Plank and Cat/Cow are all great poses to begin your journey with.

Massages to relax overworked muscles

Deep tissue massage can also really help to relieve the tension caused to the muscles by bad posture.

Allowing the body to reinforce natural movement is one of the most important benefits of massage therapy.

Hot Stone massage therapy is also another option, which can be used in conjunction with deep tissue massage by a professional therapist.

Avoiding ‘texting neck’

Smartphones are causing us to damage our posture and strain our necks. When we look down to read a text or check our Instagram feed, it really strains our spine and neck. Over the course of a day, week, month and year – this adds up to a lot of strain.

For a better posture, lift the phone up to head height and move across the text with your eyes – not with your neck.