Improved Posture and Reduced Back Pain

Just how many times were you told as a child " stand up straight!"?

If you were tall you may well have had a tendency to slouch or round your shoulders, which led to this kind of comments from the adults in the family. 

Whilst your parents were probably more concerned with how your posture looked, the more important aspect is that poor posture can cause ongoing back problems.

Whilst the kind of posture practiced by the best schools is no longer required.  I mean, who wants to be able to balance a book on their head whilst walking anyway? -However, the principle is still sound.

Experts say that you should be able to draw a straight line between five points on your body if your posture is correct:-

1.  your ear lobe
2.  your shoulders
3.  your hip
4.  your knee
5.  your ankles

Why is this a problem?  If we are not standing up straight, we are putting extra and unnecessary strain on our muscles and joints in these areas.

This can also be a problem if you spend hours sat at a desk staring at your computer.  We tend to lean forward putting stress on the shoulders and middle, upper back muscles.  Some simple exercises and stretches can help to stop pain at night or the build up of stresses and strains that tend to explode at just the wrong moment.

Simple exercise can help improve posture and prevent some of the worst back pain and ensure that we're reasonably fit and healthy too!

Further Info

Exercise for Back Pain - since they were first introduced the McKenzie exercises have been shown to make a real difference to pain levels and health of those undertaking them.

Stretch Smart - simple exercises you can do during breaks at work to reduce stress and strain