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Dr. Corinne: You'd be Surprised What Your Posture Says about You and Your HealthDid you know your posture affects your mood? Just like smiling can help you feel happier, standing fully upright with good posture can also give you a boost!
How to assess your own posture To assess your own posture, you will need access to a full-length mirror, or a friend who can take a side view picture of you.
Avoid correcting your posture during the above assessment; this will give a false image of your actual posture. Then, complete the above checklist to determine aspects of your posture that need work. Forward Head Posture and how to fix it During your assessment, did you notice your head protruding forward? This is a pretty common occurrence usually caused by sitting too low, a screen set too high, a hunched back, or a combination of all three. This is known as a forward head posture and occurs when your neck pushes forward more than an inch over your first vertebrae. Back and neck pain, muscle spasms, fatigue, sleep apnea, and headaches can accompany a forward head posture. Here's the fix: -From a neutral position, push your chin forward in an exaggerated motion -Pull your chin back, then bring your chin parallel to the ground -Lengthen your neck upwards as you tuck in your chin -Bring your shoulder blades down and back towards your spine -Pull in your lower tummy muscles to maintain a natural curve in your lower back Rounded Shoulders? What to do Rounded shoulders are associated with poor posture habits as well as muscle imbalances. Focusing on chest strength and neglecting the upper back can also lead to rounded shoulders. One way to tell if you have rounded shoulders is by standing in front of a mirror with your arms naturally hanging down by your sides. If your knuckles face forward, you probably have a tight chest and a weak upper back, giving the appearance of rounded shoulders. Here's the fix: -Lie face down on the floor, with each arm at a 90-degree angle. -Without changing your elbow angle, raise both arms by pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your shoulder blades together -Hold for five seconds. -Repeat two or three sets of 12 reps daily. "Text Neck" Did you know that 'Text neck' is a real condition? As you can guess, it's linked to hunching over smartphones and keyboards causing a forward bend in the neck. This undoubtedly leads to poor posture and over time causes pain in the upper back, neck, and shoulders. The best way to correct this issue is to be more aware of your body. We do things like texting and typing without much thought. Making a more conscious decision to keep the neck upright during these activities will help improve your posture. Did you know bending your neck forward places more than 60 extra pounds of weight on your cervical spine?! So, bending your neck forward 60 degrees—related to the posture of people looking down at their phones—can shoot that amount of weight up to 60 pounds, due to gravity. When using your technology, pay attention to your neck position. Try addressing your device with only your eyes, not your neck. Keep your head, neck, and shoulder posture in a neutral position and look down at your device only with your eyes. Have you ever heard of 'Donald Duck' posture? Wearing high heels, excessive weight around the stomach and pregnancy can all contribute to a hyperlordosis or 'Donald Duck' posture. In this posture, you have a pronounced curve in your lower back. This exaggerated inward curve of the lower back can eventually lead to pain. To correct this curve, imagine a string attached to the top of your head pulling you upwards when standing. You want to maintain the spines natural curvature, with your neck straight and shoulders parallel with the hips. Exercises that can help include core and glute strengthening exercises, and hip flexor and thigh stretches. Overall, it's important to make a conscious effort to correct your standing posture. I just got standing desks at my office and I love them. Practice standing correctly for several seconds. Time how long it takes before you lose your proper posture. Here are tips on how to get into proper standing position: -Keep your shoulders back and relaxed. -Pull in your abdomen. -Keep your feet about hip distance apart. -Balance your weight evenly on both feet. (I recommend custom orthotics when needed) -Try not to tilt your head forward, backward, or sideways. -Keep your legs straight, but knees relaxed. Do you have a "Flat Back?" Another bad posture position is just the opposite of Donald Duck posture. Instead of your lower back being curved, a flat back can lead to lower back pain as well. A flat back means your pelvis is tucked in and your lower back is straight instead of naturally curved, causing you to stoop forward. Spending long hours sitting or muscle imbalances are usually responsible for creating a flat back. This posture can also cause you to lean your neck and head forwards, causing upper back strain. Exercises that can help include: -Plank -Side-lying leg raises -Chest stretches -Seated rows -Pull-ups -Back extensions The goal is to strengthen your core, buttocks, neck, and rear shoulder muscles to help correct a flat lower back. Uneven stance How many of you stand for long periods? Do you tend to lean to place more weight on one leg? This may feel comfortable, especially if you have been standing for a while, however, this causes excess pressure on your lower back and hip. Developing muscle imbalances around the pelvis area is common. Unfortunately, this leads to muscular strain in the lower back and buttocks. In addition to placing weight on one side when standing, carrying heavy backpacks on one shoulder, or parents carrying toddlers on one hip can create the same imbalance. The only way to correct this issue is by standing with weight evenly distributed on both legs. Once again, strengthening your buttocks and core muscles will help. Can you hold a plank for 30 seconds? A minute? To help make sure you're getting into the pose properly, here are some tips: Lie face down with your elbows directly under your shoulders with your toes holding you up. You want to form a straight line from head to heels. Focus on keeping your abs contracted during the exercise and your butt in line with the rest of your body. If you need support, place one knee on the floor and alternate after a few seconds. Strengthen your core! Did you know sitting for long periods is considered to be just as harmful to health as smoking? The average person spends over 7 hours a day sitting. We sit to eat, drive, work, watch TV... It all adds up! How much time do you spend sitting each day? Now consider how much of that time are you actively using proper posture? I am willing to bet most of your time spent sitting is in a slouched position. And I am not saying this because I think you're lazy, I am guilty of slouching as well! The problem with slouching is that over time sensitized muscles and soft tissues become strained. As the strain increases in intensity, tension in the muscles can result in pain. It's important to get in the habit of sitting correctly. Know that at first, this can feel uncomfortable because muscles have not been conditioned to support you in the correct position. Exercises to strengthen your core and buttock muscles will help support proper posture. Here are some. Complete 8 to 10 reps of the following poses: -Bridges -Back extensions -Planks But I work 8 hours a day at a desk! What can I do? Improve your work station. Many jobs today require long hours sitting at a desk, which is why it is so important to practice good posture while working. To start, reduce your risk of back pain by adjusting your chair, so your lower back is properly supported. Your feet should be flat on the floor, and your knees should be slightly lower than your hips. Avoid crossing your legs. Next, move your monitor to eye level. Your screen should be directly in front of you about arm's length away. Your keyboard should be directly in front of you with 4 to 6 inches to rest your wrists between bouts of typing. The mouse should also be within comfortable reach. Most importantly, take regular breaks to adjust your posture. Try not to sit in the same position for too long, because chances are you unknowingly started to slouch. Many large companies offer ergonomic assistance or devices to help. Check with your office to find out what's available to you. In the event they don't provide assistance, do what you can to adjust your workspace setup to meet your needs. This may require propping up the monitor with a stack of books of bringing a pillow from home to perch on. Some important muscles to stretch, include:
-From the edge of a chair, with your back straight and chin parallel to the ground slowly bring your head toward your chest until you feel a stretch in the back of your neck and hold for five seconds. -Lift your chin and tilt your head back until you feel a stretch throughout the upper area of your neck and hold for five seconds. -Perform this exercise throughout your day for relief from neck strain and pain.
-Stand in the middle of a doorway with elbows bent to a 90-degree angle and forearms placed on each side of the doorway. -Lean forward until you feel a stretch in your chest muscles and hold for 15 seconds
-Stand with your feet hip-width apart and toes forward. -Bend your right knee, and bring your right heel up toward your bottom. Hold your right foot with the right hand, and gently pull to point your knee toward the floor and hold for 30 seconds. -Repeat on your other leg.
-Sit on the floor with both legs out straight. -Extend your arms and reach forward by bending at the waist as far as possible while keeping your knees straight or slightly bent. -Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat three times. Try to incorporate these stretches into your daily routine. When correcting posture, the most common muscles that you should strengthen, include:
-The trapezius stabilizes and articulates your shoulder blades. -Deadlift, 1-2 sets of 8-12 reps
-This includes both the front and back core muscles. -Plank is an excellent move for working the core.
-Donkey kicks are great for strengthening the glutes: -Start in all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. -Lift your right knee off the ground as you kick your foot upward. -Do 12 reps and repeat on the left. You don't have access to gym equipment, some of these moves can be completed at home, so no excuses! Strong muscles help hold us in alignment, while weak muscles lead to poor posture. If you would like a free 8-week home fitness plan to help with your posture you can enroll by Clicking Here. First, make sure your workstation is adequately set up then try some of the different strengthening exercises I discussed, remember the key is to perform each with proper form.
I am deeply passionate about helping people become the very best versions of themselves. If you need any additional information, help, or questions answered, please email me at Dr@DrCorinneWeaver.com. If you want more healthy tips you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here. Like and comment on my channel so I will know what tips and topics you want to know about. I am forming a community of people who want to take action in their own health with my social media channels and I want to know what health topics you want to hear. Keep Breathing, Email: Dr@DrCorinneWeaver.com Dr. Corinne Weaver is a compassionate upper cervical chiropractor, educator, motivational speaker, mother of three, and internationally bestselling author. In 2004, she founded the Upper Cervical Wellness Center in Indian Trail, North Carolina. Over the last 13 years, she has helped thousands of clients restore their brain to-body function. When she was 10 years old, she lost her own health as the result of a bike accident that led to having asthma and allergy issues that she thought she would always have to endure. Then, after her first upper cervical adjustment at age 21, her health began to improve thanks to upper cervical care and natural herbal remedies. This enabled her to create a drug-free wellness lifestyle for herself and her family, and she also enthusiastically discovered her calling to help children heal naturally. Dr. Weaver was named one of Charlotte Magazine's "Top Doctors" in 2016 and is now a number-one internationally bestselling author to two books: Learning How to Breathe and No More Meds. Upper Cervical Wellness Center is known for finding the root cause of health concerns through lifestyle changes, diagnostic testing, nutraceutical supplementation, and correction of subluxation (as opposed to just medicating the symptoms). The practice offers cutting-edge technological care at its state-of-the-art facility, including laser-aligned upper cervical X-rays, bioimpedance analysis (measures body composition), digital thermography (locates thermal abnormalities characterized by skin inflammation), and complete nutritional blood analysis, which is focused on disease prevention 
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Poor posture is linked to many negative health outcomes. From exacerbating arthritis to causing chronic fatigue, or even just generalized back pain, poor posture can make a sizable difference in your day-to-day life. (Photo: Pixabay)
Did you know your posture affects your mood? Just like smiling can help you feel happier, standing fully upright with good posture can also give you a boost!
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