Your posture matters more than you might think, at least according to Harvard University. For athletes, standing up straight can result in fewer injuries; however, the rest of us can benefit too. When you practice proper posture, you’ll likely suffer from fewer backaches, and you may even look a little bit taller when standing in a crowd. Today, B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center of Las Vegas touches on a few ways to improve your sitting and standing posture.
Get Active
One of the best ways to improve your posture is by getting active. That can take the form of a short, brisk walk – or better yet, look into yoga! Iyengar Yoga in particular is great for pregnancy and rehabilitation, but can actually be extremely healthy and beneficial to everyone. Visit B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center of Las Vegas to get started!
Visit your Chiropractor
You could also look into chiropractic services to treat issues of the spine, which is where much of your posture comes from. Whether you choose to visit just a chiropractor or multiple healthcare providers, make sure that you keep your medical records organized and handy. This makes it much easier to track progress, especially when you’re suffering from back or other pain. When you need to share your medical history with your physicians, make sure you have PDFs on your phone or on the cloud. These are easier to share and distribute than Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files, and there is no charge to use this tool to create a PDF from scanned images. An online tool, such as the one mentioned previously, is a simple drag-and-drop solution to keeping all of your records in one place.
Stand Up Straight and Look to the Stars
Having great posture means standing tall with your shoulders back, and your chin aligned parallel to the floor. Standing this way creates even weight distribution and reduces strain and overuse of joints and muscles. Wanna get inspired? Just for fun, and to see America’s obsession with height, click here to learn more about the heights of your favorite celebrities. In particular, pay attention to how they stand, as many athletes and musicians have been trained to maintain proper posture all the time.
Reduce Stress to Eliminate Pain
You might not realize it, but your stress levels directly impact your physical wellness, especially where pain is concerned. Stanford Medicine explains that stress creates tense muscles while the stress hormone cortisol can cause inflammation. Fortunately, there are many activities that help relieve stress, like yoga, and the movement can also lower stress-induced inflammation.
While you might think that getting exercise and meditating may be the only way to reduce stress, the truth is that stress typically comes from your everyday activities, such as working. In this vein of thought, look at your office. Is it a stress-free environment? Or, do clutter, disorganization, and poor lighting cause you to tense up every time you sit down at your keyboard? If so, it may be time to fix these problems so that you’ll have a calmer and more productive work environment.
Watch How You Sit
While there are many ways to improve your posture, including sleeping on a better mattress, exercising, doing yoga, stretching, and wearing the right shoes, the way you sit matters, perhaps most of all. This is especially true for those of us who work at a desk all day. Using ergonomic office furniture can help, but you have to put in some work as well. If necessary, use lumbar support, and keep your knees at a 90° angle. Where possible, distribute your weight evenly and make sure that your forearms are parallel to the floor.
Having the right posture is hugely beneficial to your overall health and well-being… just look at your celebrity favorites that spend the vast majority of their time on their feet. Stress also plays a role in your pain levels, so de-stress your workspace if it’s causing you emotional strain. Finally, find the right program and start taking steps to improve your overall posture.
B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center of Las Vegas is the oldest yoga center in Las Vegas, with the most up-to-date yoga equipment, offering classes for students of all levels, yoga therapy, and teacher training. If you have any questions, please email aileen.iyclv@gmail.com.