ACHES & PAINS GETTING YOU DOWN? (Continued) If your posture includes sitting for long periods of time: When you sit for prolonged periods of time, the muscles in your hips and legs will stiffen. When thesemuscles become stiff, they tighten andwill pull on the lower back, causing pain. The joints also lose their range of motion, which can cause soreness or achiness in the hips, legs, and back, and can create issues with your gait. The way in which you walk can also have an effect on your posture. When you have improper posture, your center of gravity changes. This can cause your balance to decline, which can cause pain when walking, thus creating a vicious cycle of overcompensation and pain. The most common symptom of poor posture is lower back pain, although pain can be present in other parts of the body, as well. The back muscles constantly contract to keep you upright, and they overcompensate when you slouch or hunch over. Over a period of time, constant poor posture can create an unusual amount of wear and tear on the lower back, which can increase the risk of arthritis in the spine. What Can You Do About It? It can be difficult to correct poor posture, but there are a few steps you can take on your own to try and help: 1. Sit properly. If you are at a desk for extended periods of the day, make sure your stance is okay. Sit upright, place your feet flat on the floor, and try not to cross your legs. Make sure there is a small gap between the back of your knees and the chair. Having a chair with strong back support and padding is also recommended for making your upright position more comfortable. 2. Take stretch breaks. If you are an office worker, it is not secret that most of the day is spent with limited levels of mobility. It is important to make sure that you get up every 30 minutes or so, and take a small walk, at least for a minute ACHES & PAINS GETTING YOU DOWN? (Continued) If your posture includes sitting for long periods of time: When you sit for prolonged periods of time, the muscles in your hips and legs will stiffen. When thesemuscles become stiff, they tighten andwill pull on the lower back, causing pain. The joints also lose their range of motion, whic can cause soreness or achiness in the hips, legs, and back, and ca create issues with your gait. The way in which you walk can also have an effect on your posture. When you have improper posture, your center of gravity changes. This can cause your b lance to d cline, which can cause pain when walking, thus creating a vicious cycle of ver ompensation and pain. The most common symptom of poor posture is lower back pain, although pain can be present in other parts of the body, as well. The back muscles constantly contract to keep you upright, and they overcompensate when you slouch or hunch over. Over a period of time, constant poor posture can create an unusual amount of wear and tear on the lower back, which can increase the risk of arthritis in the spine. What Can You Do About It? It can be difficult to correct poor posture, but there are a few steps you can take on your own to try and help: 1. Sit properly. If you are at a desk for extended periods of the day, make sure your stance is okay. Sit upright, place your feet flat on the floor, and try not to cross your legs. Make sure there is a small gap between the back of your knees and the chair. Having a chair with strong back support and padding is also reco ended for making your upright position more comfortable. . T ke stretch breaks. If you are an office worker, it is not s cret hat m st of t day is spent with limited l vels of mobility. It s important to make sure hat get up every 30 minutes or so, and take a small walk, at least for a minute
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