What is our commonest position in space? Forward facing, reaching out with our arms and hands to do the dishes, or cook, or put in the laundry, or fold the laundry. At work, sitting for long periods of time at a desk in the same position without a break. After work and chores, sitting on the couch watching Netflix. Every action is done in a flexed position causing the body to sort of become shorter in the front and longer in the back. So over time, we develop the neck, mid-back, and lower back issues. And it shows in the posture.
I won’t talk about the cosmetic reasons to work on my posture – that has never motivated me for long. Even though each time I watched a dance performance, Kathak or Bharatnatyam or Ballet, I wanted to move as gracefully as the dancers, but within a week or so it was back to life as usual.
But I do want to avoid the effect of bad posture on my functional life. For example, sitting and typing this post on my computer I am conscious of a nagging soreness – not yet pain – in my neck. I have caught myself many a time in the mirror slumped down, with my belly out, a hunch in my shoulders as if I carry the weight of the world on them.
I used to have good posture – in fact I used to work at it, being aware of how I was sitting and standing and moving. Then life happened – marriage, kids, work, housework, just life. And during those years, in my case, any attempt to work on posture fell by the wayside. Now it seems time has slowed down and I want to refocus on this aspect.
So let’s take a look at what affects our posture and how to take care of it. First the neck – just looking down at a phone, or an embroidery, puts an enormous amount of pressure on the neck – it has to hold up 11 pounds of that head which causes it to become tired and gradually weak and that can lead to soreness. When that happens, we splint the neck by holding it motionless and using our arms more, thus putting pressure on the shoulders and shoulder blades.
Or take sitting at a desk peering at a computer, the neck is extended like a turtle’s head coming out of its shell, so the muscles at the front of the neck become longer and those at the back of the neck become shorter and tighter. Once these muscles become tight, they pull on their connections – the back of the head and the area in between the shoulder blades – causing discomfort and pain in these areas.
Then come to the mid-back. When I do the dishes or some weeding, I end up with pain in between the shoulder blades. And the chest then scrunches up to relieve the soreness. With time, the mid-back becomes hunched. And now the neck has to extend itself more to look up, worsening its situation.
After giving birth to a child, there is a period of time when the hip, pelvic, and back muscles are all loose due to the hormones secreted to make these areas stretch during the birthing process. It seems as if one has no control over one’s body. (On a side note, kudos to J.Lo and Beyonce who did major entertainment feats within months of giving birth – I could barely get my legs to obey me, but then that’s why they are who they are, and I am who I am). So that’s when I noticed what’s called lumbar lordosis – the curve of the lower back is deeper, the whole area of the back and the belly muscles is weak, and the back muscles can’t control the stomach muscles which pull down on the back and cause back pain. I tried all sorts of exercises but gradually fell out of the habit to do those regularly.
Posture also affects mood in a big way. I have noticed so many times waking up with a vague sense of dread or sadness, see myself slumping in the bathroom mirror, and as soon as I stand straight, tummy in, shoulders back, I feel better.
It’s a matter of habit. Habits develop slowly but need consistent effort. The first step is being AWARE of the behavior. The next is to know what to do to CHANGE it. And then make the EFFORT to change it.
So for the next few weeks I will be focussing on my posture. How I sit and stand and work and walk. And I will have three points to work with –
- While sitting at a desk, follow the 20-20-20 rule as per the eye doctors – they made this rule to prevent eyestrain – every 20 minutes take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet away. My variation is that when I am looking at something 20 feet away, I should also try to fit in a couple of stretches for my mid back.
- Each time I eat something, and while brushing my teeth, I will be aware of how my body feels while positioned correctly. I will be building muscle memory for the right posture.
- When I go for my walks, instead of shuffling along, or even pushing myself to walk faster, I will refocus on the posture every time I pass another walker/jogger.
So what is correct posture? According to medlineplus.gov,
Stand with feet shoulder width apart, keep shoulders back, pull stomach in, keep head level so that the ear lobes align with the shoulders. It’s basically not leaning on one side or the other, not putting too much pressure on any joint.
When sitting, don’t cross your legs – use a footrest if possible, keep elbows close to the body, relax the shoulders – don’t round them – support the back, and take frequent breaks from sitting.
Stretching at regular intervals helps. I have tried and like doing chin tucks especially while at the computer. Just taking the neck and arms through their range of motion is enough. It’s just a reminder to sit better, to change the position of the body so it doesn’t freeze there. We humans were made for movement, and being static in any position is not good for the muscles, joints, nerves, or blood vessels.
See, doctors are not taught about posture per se, and they don’t advise about it regularly. It’s only when the doctor is treating for neck or back pain that they will mention posture in a cursory manner, focussing more on medications and therapy to manage the pain.
So, since prevention is better than cure, let’s focus on a tiny aspect of good health and good mood, and that is in how one presents to the world – straight on!