Keep Your Chin Up

Sit up straight. Stand up straight. Don’t slouch. Most of us can still hear our mother’s voices ringing in our ears. Moms always know what is best.

The truth is that poor posture can adversely affect your pain. Slouching can result in neck pain, shoulder pain, muscle stiffness, and aching low back.

What happens when we lean forward and try and lift something heavy? Usually, a poor outcome with increased pain is the result. If we lift with our legs and keep our spine straight the weight is distributed equally, and muscles do not have to strain to compensate for poor posture. Even if we are not lifting heavy weight it is a good idea to maintain good posture. Leaning forward while sitting at a desk for a long period of time for example will cause muscle fatigue to maintain position and over time can cause spinal degeneration.

Many of us are now working from home and much less active than we have been in the past, so what is one to do? Keep moving. If you are able, get up and walk around and stretch periodically. If you are not able to get up, change positions in your chair frequently while maintaining good posture. Regular exercise is always a plus. If you have let some poor postural habits creep in, keep your chin up. It is never too late to retrain those muscles and get back in your mom’s good graces.