Posted by Choosing better posture control over convenience!
The advent of mobile phones, tablets, and laptops; and the beaming use of it no matter the age, has definitely affected our musculoskeletal system and thereby our appearance. Some changes are very obvious while others are physiological like our eyesight becoming weaker, sleeplessness, our brain function getting deteriorating, decline in our immunity, surging our anxiety and stress levels, etc.
Doctors and experts have proved that the long-term effects of electronic devices in our daily lives have hit us hard. In the hurly-burly of our everyday chores, we do not care about it. But only when we are stuck by the adversity of these electronic gadgets imposing stress and strain on our bodily systems. But there isn’t any proven solution to this. These gadgets are not just a luxury but a necessity nowadays. Let’s not think of quitting its use completely remembering its advantages rather try to limit or restrain whenever possible. Also, adopting a few good habits for its mindful usage.
As a Physiotherapist, I would like to talk and educate you about the right posture during the use of your cell phones and laptops and bring awareness about how you can minimize its hazardous effects on your body. The inappropriate postures while handling these gadgets and sitting glued to them for hours can uproot various issues. Let’s talk about them individually.
Neck- Forwarded head posture–
Shoulders- Rounded shoulders-
Upper back- Kyphosis-
Wrists and fingers- Repetitive strain injuries–
Knee and ankle- swelling-
Few Exercises to correct your Posture:
Chin Tucks Upper Back Stretch
Neck Stretch Shoulder Stretch
Hamstring Stretch Quads Stretch
Calf Stretch Shoulder Stretch
Since the evolution of the human race, from quadruped to upright position, the spine has evolved in such a way that the appendages attached to it give optimum functional output. No human being is programmed to sit erect for hours no matter how much he tries consciously or keeps alarmed in his smartwatch. There has to be something that transgresses the dire need of not getting affected physically by the adherence to a static posture required at the workstation. The good news is, there’s something called a good slouch which can be achieved with proper ergonomic chairs. Find the best one that fits your requirement and suits your pocket.
Forget good or bad, I would call it strong or weak.
The stronger your core, the more confident in your look. The stronger your balance, the lesser is your risk of injuries. So, aim at becoming stronger than juggling between good or bad posture. It’s a conscious awareness about you and thereby make it a priority.
Few basic things to follow:
- Move Often– Every 30 mins, make it a point to push yourself out of the place and break the posture for at least sixty seconds. Standing up means using 640 muscles to balance, 206 bones while not pinching 45 miles of nerves or 60,000 miles of blood vessels.
- Exercise regularly– a good exercise regime helps to curb down the detrimental effect of excessive strain during your working hours. It would make you stronger and keep a check on your weight which was one of the worst outcomes of lockdown.
- Drink plenty of water
- Get enough sleep.
Everyone’s body is unique and different. One key won’t open all the locks. Awareness is the cornerstone followed by strengthening a good posture. Alignment, balance, and movement would follow respectively. Taking this notion on another untouched aspect is the connection between your posture and your emotions.
Mood influences our wellbeing, confidence, muscle tone, energy levels, etc. Thus, body posture can reveal a person’s current state of mind. If you are angry, upset, irritated, or having a feeling of disgust will be reflected in your posture and physical appearance.
- Stress– You would breathe shallow using more of your accessory muscles than diaphragm when in stress or anxiety or fear. Your muscle tension will be high and your movements would be clumsy.
- Tiredness– Malaise, exhaustion and low energy levels will make your shoulder droop, head tilted downwards making you appear drained and weary.
- Confidence– How upright your spine would look holding your head straight up and core activated when you are full of energy. Several studies have shown correlation between posture and confidence. Sitting upright in a chair gives your thoughts more clarity which boosts your confidence.
Posture is affected by muscle length and tension parameters, such as tight hamstring muscles or pectoral muscles, or weak abdominal, glutei, and trapezius muscles will hinder your erect and normal posture. Hence, there are trainings given by Physiotherapists to improve and maintain the posture over time. Additionally, breathing patterns affect posture. For example, if you breathe in with your mouth it causes the chin to tilt forward in order to open the airway, exacerbating forward head posture, whereas nose breathing allows the neck to stay in alignment.
If you feel the need to improve and work upon your posture drop us an email at drkhadija@service-to-mankind.com
Chin up and wear your confidence hat.
Face the world for you have little time to combat.
Rollback your shoulders and sit upright,
Tuck in your core, brace your back, and watch your height.
Confident, assertive, and fearless look,
Is all that you need to conquer the crook!