COMMON POSTURE ERRORS:
Left untreated, poor posture in the shoulders can lead to long-term effects, such as tendinitis, nerve constriction, or even spine misalignment. Posture is also a contributing factor to kyphosis, or “postural hunchback,” in which the shoulders and neck become abnormally curved. Some common errors in posture (and how to fix them) are: 1. Slouching in a chair. – It is so simple to do, and we all do it. We’re sitting at work, and around hour 4 we get tired. We slouch. We make ourselves comfortable – and we may even stay like that for the rest of the day. However, slouching in a chair is a bad habit to get into, especially if you work at a desk job. The strain increases tension on the muscles, which will eventually cause pain. The best way to avoid this is to get into the habit of sitting correctly (upright, legs uncrossed, feet flat on the ground, legs a few inches away from seat of the chair) every day. This may not be easy at first, as your body may not be accustomed to the way it is supposed to sit. Try out some of
these exercises to help correct your slumped stance and strengthen your natural posture: • Bridges • Back extensions • Planks 2. “Text neck.” – The term “text neck” is colloquial; however, it describes a position in which the head is tilted downward and the shoulders are hunched over (as if someone was looking down at a phone screen and texting.) This is also commonplace in desk jobs, as many people will experience “text neck” when hunching over their keyboards or sorting through files. This could be a sign of a tight chest and weak upper back, and over time this posture could worsen into rounded or hunched shoulders. Some exercises to help correct your “text neck,” and strengthen your upper back and shoulders are: • Chest stretches • Pull-ups • Seated rows
3. Rounded shoulders. – This type of posture error is also colloquially referred to as “mom posture.” It is caused when the shoulders are rounded forward, instead of back, and the head and chest are slouched forward. To figure out if you have a “mom posture” stance, stand in front of a mirror and let your arms hang naturally. If your knuckles face more toward the front, instead of to the sides, you may have rounded shoulders. Daily tasks that may contribute to this are bending down repeatedly throughout the day (much like a mom does to pick up a toddler or clean up their toys), sitting for prolonged periods of time, carrying heavy objects, driving a vehicle, or using a computer. Some exercises you can do to strengthen your shoulders and back, and correct this posture error are: • Pull-ups • Seated Rows • Planks • Bridges • Chest stretches
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