Three Stretches You Can Do At Home To Improve Your Posture
Many people spend hours in front of the computer and don’t realise the effect that it has on their body. Poorly positioned computer screens and desks that are too high or low cause your posture to become unnatural, which places a lot of physical stress on the body.
Long term posture issues can have a debilitating effect on your musculoskeletal system.
Some possible conditions that people see as a result of this include:
Headaches
Neck pain and tension
Fatigue and tiredness
Shoulder problems
Kyphosis (rounded back)
Low back stiffness
Joint degeneration
To prevent problems and get relief from pain this should be corrected as soon as possible. One way of doing this is with Remedial Massage Therapy from a professionally qualified therapist.
Poor posture forces you to overwork the muscles in your neck and back. If these habits are continued for prolonged time, the spine and other joints are pushed out of their normal alignment. Postural dysfunction and imbalance can cause a number of issues such as spinal dysfunction and joint degeneration.
A common muscular imbalance is prolonged tight chest muscles which weakens the shoulder blade and back muscles.
Things To Avoid Doing When Sitting At Your Desk:
Cradling the phone with your shoulder/neck
Crossing your legs
Tilting your neck for the monitor
Unsupportive chairs
Leaning forward (slouch)
Instead:
Use a headset
Cross your feet
Position the monitor at eye level
Use a chair that is height adjustable with arm rests and back support
Maintain a neutral 90 degree angle on all joints (ankles, knees, hips, elbows, neck)
Massage Therapy Improves Your Posture!
You can benefit greatly from regular massages AND prevent these inevitable strains from affecting you.
Massage can relax and loosen the sore muscles caused by bad posture, allowing your body to position itself in its natural-and pain-free-posture.
With ongoing regular massage, the muscles are loosened and relaxed joints have greater freedom and pressure points are relieved.
Just some of the benefits of massage include:
· Loosened, relaxed muscles
· Relief from the soreness/stiffness due to overuse or weakened muscles
· Increased range of motion in joints
· Lower chances of developing related conditions such as headaches, frozen shoulder and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Here are some great stretches that you can do in between massages as part of your home care maintenance to improve your posture, reduce pain and increase your range of movement:
Stretching The Upper Traps
1. Grab the base of chair & push shoulder down
2. Wrap your other hand over top of head
3. Pull neck into stretch
4. Hold for 10 secs, repeat 3 times
Stretching The Chest Muscles
1. Stand behind door frame
2. Place arms on wall
3. Proceed to step into a deep lunge
4. Hold for 10 secs, repeat 3 times
Thoracic Extension Stretch
1. Roll up a towel or use a foam roller
2. Place towel on floor (horizontally)
3. Lie on towel so its placed just under your shoulder blades.
4. Bring hands behind head
5. Hold for 1 minute
