How's your posture?
Let’s talk about posture. I bet as soon as you read that sentence you sat up a little taller, right? Posture is something I often talk about and discuss in my classes but don’t always implement myself post-workout. I sit more than I ever have for my job. On one hand, it is amazing to not feel totally exhausted by the end of the day from running around all over, but on the other hand, I think sitting more has contributed to new back pain (going on about 4 months now).
I’m sure other things over time have contributed to this pain, which has now been identified as a minor bulging disc, but I have begun to really take matters into my own hands and fix my posture. Since I know so many of you are working from home now and for what could be a long time, I figured it was worth it to share what I’m doing to help my posture.
If you’ve taken class with me before, you know I emphasize that the other 23 hours of your day are more important than the workout because that is when we may not practice good posture, and remain in the same position for a sustained period of time. If we can just become more aware of this, perhaps it can improve our posture.
The past few weeks I’ve been focusing on the following and it seems to have been helping me:
Walk! I know it is winter but if you dress properly, you’ll be good to go. Not only is it great for your mental health to get outside and get fresh air, it is good for our bodies to move. I’ve been trying for 20-30 minutes as many days as I can, and on days I feel up for it and I have time, longer. Walking is a great way for active recovery in between workouts too.
Stretching & mobility. Whether I do this in between sessions, after a walk, or at the end of the day, I have been trying to make more time to stretch. Even if it is a few simple movements or a timed stretch while watching tv to decompress at the end of the day, I always feel positively impacted by stretching & mobility sessions when I am done. We all carry tension in different body parts or lack mobility, so this is the perfect time to do a few targeted movements for those areas. Hips are super important to mobilize if you sit for your work day.
Opening up my body. For me, I need to work on extension specifically. I try to avoid or reduce the number of crunch-like exercises I perform and even hip-flexed and specifically seated exercises where I can. My body (like most people’s), naturally wants to flex forward, so I am doing everything I can to work on extension. I have been loving laying on yoga blocks or a foam roller to help open up through my chest too.
Adjust the height of your screen. When I sit and train my clients via Zoom, I have my laptop propped up on another small table on my desk. This brings the height up higher and more at my eye level. I really notice the difference on my neck and I feel much more strained when I don’t take the time to adjust the height properly.
Take breaks in between sessions. I personally love back-to-back sessions. It keeps me engaged and I feel super efficient knowing I’m wasting little time in between. However, I have been trying to schedule breaks in between so that I am not sitting for more than 1 hour at a time. I spend this time walking, stretching, or even just cleaning up around the house. As long as I am not sitting, it helps me to break the habit of slouching that I have.
Being much more aware of how I sit. I have always known I have a tendency to slouch, but I never had back pain so just ignored it. Now, I am really aware of avoiding slouching from my mid-back, having both feet flat, trying not to cross my legs, and trying not to shift to one side more than the other. All of this is easier said than done (I am fixing my posture right now while I write this), but awareness is the first step to making those positive changes for posture and alignment.
Seeing practitioners to add extra assistance where needed. I am quite body aware, but I have been taking time to see different practitioners that can give me the external support I need beyond what I can do on my own.
Other people may also benefit from having a standing desk option, talking calls while standing or on a walk, additional core strengthening and proper activation, improved form when working out and so much more. I hope these ideas are helpful in your own journey to more optimal posture and alignment within your own body. If you’ve got any other tips or tricks that help you, please share them!
One thing I always try to remember when feeling discouraged is that optimal alignment is not easy and it takes work. Although you may have to try harder to achieve it, it will be best for your body in the long run.
Yours in self-discovery,
Rachel