Are you making these posture mistakes?

Good posture is foundational to health and appearance

Growing up, your mom or dad may have reminded you to "sit up straight" or "watch your posture." Maybe you've delivered the same feedback to loved ones. Good posture is important to our health and enables us to project confidence.

As women, we have a complicated anatomy, which places more pressure on our backs. According to physical therapist Jane Cobler, DPT, "women carry more body mass in the front and chest area. Desk work, time spent in front of a laptop, and the greater weight in our front all tend to pull us forward. That becomes a huge contributor to impaired posture. Generally, there is a lack of information and education for women on how best to achieve improved posture."

Avoid these common mistakes

1. Lack of movement

When you hold yourself in the same position for prolonged periods (e.g. typing away at your laptop, playing Candy Crush on your phone), it can lead to strain and stress on your body.

Move often and reset your posture. Engage in regular exercise activities that help you strengthen your core and muscle strength.

2. Sitting in a stooped position

When you're engrossed in a work project, or texting back and forth, it's common to find yourself hunched forward and down. This position constricts your breathing by decreasing lung capacity, and places pressure on your spine to curve forward, pushing your head and neck. After a while, you will feel pain on your upper back, shoulders, and neck. You might suffer from tension headaches and poor digestion.

Sit in a neutral position. Maintain your knees, hips and elbows at a 90-degree position to your spine. 

3. Poor typing form

A common mistake we make is the way our wrists and elbows bend while we type away at a keyboard. Avoid bending your wrists and elbows for long periods of time. 

Don't rest your wrists on the table (or desk) while you type. Hold your wrists up, or prop them up with a keyboard cushion.

4. Looking down too often

It's too easy to look down on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop for long periods of time. By continually looking down, your head naturally falls forward. 

Avoid tilting your head down, and view objects at eye-level (e.g. smartphone, tablet, book)

5. Sleeping in an awkward position

Your sleeping positions can affect how you feel during your waking hours.

Generally, keep your spine in a neutral position. For side sleepers, you can place a pillow between your legs. This will reduce stress on your hips. If you sleep on your back, you can place a pillow underneath your knees to ease pressure on your lower back.