POSTURE PRIMER
The world is moving forward. Whether you are in the car, eating or working at your desk in fourth grade, the majority of your day is spent with your shoulders and spine rounded forward. Hours spent this way lead to a shortening of the musculature on the front of your body and a lengthening of the muscles along the back of the body. Then if you focus your workouts on the same shortened muscles (chest, shoulders, abs) you only make the problem worse. Meanwhile, your lower back is sore, your shoulders and neck hurt and your hip flexors are so tight it is painful to get up from your chair.
What’s a kid to do? When you stand with optimal posture, your ear lobe is aligned vertically with your shoulder, your hip, knee and ankle. This is the same for the torso when you are sitting, but fatigue, tight hip flexors and shortened abdominal and chest muscles can pull your upper body forward into a “C” shape. The consequences of years spent in this position are numerous.
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C Is for Compression
In Sesame Street terms, “C is for chronic (back pain) or compression (of the spine). I know that’s not catchy, but poor posture may contribute to low back pain, in part because of the disc compression in the spine. Another factor is the weakening of our best friend, the gluteus maximus and a shortening of the hamstrings. In short, if you sit on your butt all day, it will be inactive and weak. The hamstrings shorten after long periods of time in a seated position and have to over-compensate for weak glutes (they extend the hips), which adds to their tightness. Some studies suggest tight hamstrings contribute to 80 percent of all low back pain.
Poor sitting posture also shortens the hip flexors, such as the psoas (that’s pronounced “so as,” with an emphasis on the so, as in my hips are soooo tight). A tight psoas inhibits the glutes, which allows for more pressure on the lower spine. When you do move away from your computer screen, a tight psoas will inhibit the stability of the pelvis and lower spine, so twisting to grab a piece of paper from the edge of your desk may leave you in “sudden” low back pain.
Excessive rounding of the back is another common posture. A rounded back is a weakened back indicating the middle and lower back muscles are being dominated by the upper ones (such as the upper trapezius on top of your shoulders and across your upper back) and may lead to neck pain. Dominant upper back muscles also elevate the shoulder blades, and that can contribute to rotator cuff problems and even carpal tunnel syndrome.
The good news is you can help prevent forest fires…I mean, here are five tips to improve your posture and prevent bad stuff from happening up and down the kinetic chain:
1. Work at an ergonomically correct desk. Make sure your eye line is at the top of the computer screen. Your upper arms should fall by your sides and your forearms should rest parallel to the floor. A wrist support will help you maintain a straight line from your elbow to your knuckles. Hopefully, your chair has lumbar support to reduce flexion (or flattening) of your lower back.
2. When you notice yourself rounding your back, roll your shoulders back and down to help maintain proper posture.
3. Stretch the front of your body and you will reduce the tightness of the muscles which are pulling your forward and down. Your chest and hip flexors tighten as your sit during the day. Google stretches for these areas and do them several times a day.
4. Shore up your core. A strong core will help maintain great posture.
5. Remember to pay equal attention to muscles on the back side of your body when you workout. Sure, the “show” muscles are important, but the muscles along the back support optimal alignment of your spine and good posture.