Simple Tips for Good Posture at Work

We all know what it’s like after a long car journey, a movie or a meeting…we are left feeling pretty stiff! We have living, breathing, moving bodies that were never designed to spend hours sat down.

A key component of gaining and maintaining fitness is how you use your body in daily life. Even if you spend 3 hours a week exercising, that’s still only about 3% of waking life. How well are you moving during the other 97%?

The quality and grace of your non-exercise-based movement is an underlying component of the Restore Your Body Programme.

Unfortunately for your body, there are some days that you can’t avoid long periods of sitting. However, on those days how you sit and how often you move about are key things to consider for the health of your body. Sitting in the wrong shape can quickly lead to:

Neck tension
Reduced breath capacity
Limited range of movement in arms
Compromised digestion
Low toned abdomen
Short muscles and general muscle imbalance

This weeks blog offers two simple tips that can provide immediate and long term help for reducing stiffness and improving posture.

TIP 1

When seated, you need to find the front of your sit bones. Sit on your hands and you will feel two bones at the base of your pelvis. Too often we sit at the back of our sit bones with the pelvis tucked under, the chest dropped and chin jutting forward. This sets up a slouch that leads to the above problems. Try coming forward onto the front of your sit bones with your feet flat on the floor. This sets up good postural alignment and maximises support for your spine. The breath becomes easier, the shoulder’s freer and there’s greater movement in the wrists and hands. Vital if you use a mouse and keyboard.

TIP 2

Even with great posture, we still need to move regularly. About every 15 minutes, stand up and shake your whole body. Then make sure you stretch both arms up to the ceiling and take a few breaths while side bending and twisting your torso. This counteracts the compression caused by prolonged seating.

Please see below for a short video of these simple exercises. Try them today and let me know how it works for you.

Enjoy your 97% non-exercise exercise!

Take Care

Thanks Danny