10 daily habits that ruin your posture

You bent over here, straighten your shoulders! It’s not nice when other people tell us this. It goes without saying that bending over not only looks ugly but also causes health problems. We explain which daily habits spoil your posture and how to get rid of them.

Sedentary and sedentary lifestyle

Achieving good posture is not that easy, especially during sedentary work. This lifestyle leads to excess weight, increased glucose levels and blood pressure. Hence lower back pain and hemorrhoids. Curvature of the spine negatively affects internal organs, so strengthening the muscles is very important. The result is especially noticeable after swimming, which involves equal training of all muscle groups. It is useful to stand in the plank position, do push-ups, squats, and do the “cat” exercise (bending your back while standing on all fours). Dancing and working out at the gym will also help you build muscle. True, many people forget that it is important not only to stretch the muscles, but also to properly relax them. That’s why you should see an osteopath regularly and go for a wellness massage.

To smoke

Scientists have found a relationship between smoking and musculoskeletal diseases. The fact is that nicotine negatively affects blood circulation by constricting blood vessels (including joints and intervertebral discs). Hence the aching pain in the lower back.

Sleeping in a soft bed

Wetting the feather bed is very enjoyable, but unfortunately it is bad for our back. Especially if you are overweight, one sleeps as if in a hammock as the soft surface sags under the weight. This unnatural deviation distributes the load on the spine unevenly. The same can be said for a hard mattress, which contributes to poor circulation. For a straight back, it is recommended to choose an option that follows the contours of the body.

wrong sleeping position

It is equally important to fall asleep in the correct sleeping position for perfect posture. The important thing is to lie so that the spine does not bend. For heartburn and other abdominal pain, it is recommended to lie on your back with the head of the bed slightly elevated – this position will prevent compression of the stomach, preventing acid from moving up the esophagus. Sleeping on your back is also beneficial for scoliosis and heart diseases. However, lying face down with your face on the pillow, on the contrary, contributes to the early appearance of wrinkles. In addition, the face seems to be pressed against the pillow, the arteries in the neck are compressed, and blood circulation to the brain is impaired. Compression of the chest and bladder also causes insomnia. Sleeping on the stomach is recommended for the prevention of colic and gas formation in the intestines, as well as ulcers and gastritis. Another plus is that you cannot snore in this position. Additionally, sleeping on your stomach helps flatten the intervertebral cartilages.

Habit of bending over and carrying heavy objects

It is not always possible to fit all the necessary things into a miniature bag, especially if you need to carry a laptop or sports equipment with you to training. When bending over and lifting a heavy muscle load, a load is placed on the lumbar spine. Due to the pressure, nerve endings are compressed, causing acute pain in the waist and abdomen. This results in herniated discs, tendon sprains, scoliosis, osteochondrosis and other injuries. Therefore, when lifting a bag from the floor, it is recommended that you distribute the load evenly on both hands and squat instead of bending over.

wearing the wrong shoes

Unlike primates, which rely on four paws to move, humans put all their weight on both feet. Imagine what a burden this is! We developed the ability to walk upright approximately 4-7 million years ago. One theory is that the position of the big toe used to be the same as on the hands and was not at the same level as it is now. Changes also occurred in the knee and other limbs. Of course, evolution allowed us to free our hands for fine and creative work, but the load on our legs began to be felt more strongly. Therefore, the wrong shoe only increases the pressure on the spine. High heels look beautiful, but walking in them every day has disastrous consequences for your health. The same goes for ballet flats and other flat-soled shoes. Osteopaths recommend wearing shoes with arch support and a heel of 4-6 cm, otherwise the foot will be deformed: the foot will flatten and lose its natural arch, and the pelvic bone will deviate. All this is fraught with bad posture.

Getting stuck on gadgets

Due to constant exposure to gadgets, many people develop a condition called computer neck due to lordosis. The natural desire to push your shoulders, neck and head forward to be closer to the monitor continues in daily life. This causes vision problems and pain in the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine. If the tilt is not corrected, there is a high risk of developing cervical osteochondrosis, which turns into a chronic form. To correct the situation, lean against the wall and try to maintain this posture throughout the day. At work and school, you should try to sit correctly: you should not cross your legs or tuck them under you, it is better to put both feet on the floor, and also do not lean close to the monitor.

Breathing Problems

Frequent nasal congestion, adenoids, asthma and other problems with the respiratory system also affect posture. The main function of the diaphragm is to assist breathing, that is, to open the chest for breathing. If that fails, the body uses the neck and chest muscles. Neck pain occurs and posture changes occur due to excessive effort. This is fraught with hyperlordosis.

malocclusion

The connection between malocclusion and posture does not seem obvious at first glance. However, everything in our body is interconnected, so you shouldn’t be surprised if an orthodontist may make a referral to an osteopath when identifying problems with your bite. Spinal curvature is often diagnosed with temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), where one joint loses mobility and the other begins to compensate. Uneven load leads to deterioration of other parts of the skeleton. With TMJ, pain is observed when closing the jaws, a characteristic clicking sound occurs, discomfort during chewing and the inability to fully open the mouth. Malocclusion also contributes to the elevation of the shoulder blades and shoulder girdle. The pelvis on the dysfunctional side rises, causing one leg to extend. If the lower jaw falls back, the person develops an anterior type of posture, in which the body leans forward, causing lordosis of the cervical spine. On the contrary, if the lower jaw protrudes forward, a posterior type of posture occurs in which the neck is overextended.

Features of the profession

Unfortunately, some professions also actively contribute to poor posture. For example, artists who stand at easels all day long, make-up artists, drivers, pilots, sales consultants, etc. Typically this is a standing job. Therefore, it is especially important to constantly control yourself with your willpower and exercise regularly.