This post was submitted by Dr. Jag Dhesi Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant and Culinary Nutrition Expert.

Effect of poor posture on the body

While we may be finding ourselves less active, and working from home, we could be severely impacting our posture. Poor posture happens to be one of the main reasons behind the occurrence of neck, shoulder and back pain. This may, at times be accompanied by severe headaches, owing to the poor positioning of the head, and tension on one’s neck. Depending on the intensity of the pressure that you put on your body by adopting a poor posture, you can experience one of these effects or even all of them at the same time. 

What should you do when you want to relieve the pain you are experiencing? Here are some six stretches that you will find quite helpful:

Six Stretches You Can Do Anywhere

The stretches that are outlined below have been established to be quite effective at dealing with the effects of poor posture. As the title suggests, you can do them at your desks, or anywhere in your home or office. thus you do not have to jump into your gym wear. If you do these stretches regularly, you could potentially correct your posture and get rid of the pain. In addition to these stretches, we recommend making sure that you have a daily workout practice and stretch before exercising as well. Having a daily yoga practice can help to make you more limber and less susceptible to poor posture as well. 

Wall Slides

This is a very effective technique that you can use to improve the thoracic extension, in a bid to improve the function of the posture muscles. Your thoracic spine is tasked with supporting your spine and holding the upper body upright. By doing wall slides, you stretch them out well so that they can function optimally.

How to do wall slides

–    Take the wall angel position

–    Close the gap between your spine and the wall, and then do a set of five to ten arm slides up your wall.

–    You should ensure that your hands, elbows, and shoulders are in contact with the wall at the time you are doing the wall slides.

If pain on your thoracic spine does not subside, then it will be a good idea to look for chiropractor Livermore CA services, to have your problem addressed in the best manner possible.

Brugger Relief Technique

This is the perfect exercise for all those who are suffering from the adverse effects of sitting in a posture that is not ideal, such as desk workers.

How to do it

–    Perch your body at the edge of a stable chair with knees lowered.

–    Sit as upright as you can, in a manner that straightens your back and ensures that your head is retracted over your shoulders.

–    Keep your arms straight and see it to it that your shoulders are relaxed and down.

–    Ensure that your palms are facing up and away from you. The thumbs should be at the outer edge.

–    Spread out your fingers and then exhale deeply into the abdomen.

–    Maintain this position for half a minute to one minute.

–    Do this exercise in several times a day.

Upper Trap

This is one of the muscles that are usually quite tight for workers who stay at their desks for long hours. It’s tightness can lead to pain and discomfort, thus reducing the productiveness. 

How to do the Upper Trap Stretch

–    Sit in an upright posture with your shoulder blades drawn gently downwards.

–    Rotate the head slightly to the left as you use the right hand to access the area around and above your left ear. This stretches the left upper trapezius.

–    You can do the same for the right upper trapezius by holding your arm over your head and reaching out to the right ear with your head bent to the right.

–    You should hold that position for about thirty seconds, and repeat for not less than three times.

Levator Scapulae

The levator scapulae is a muscle that is right at the base of the spine, in the back of your neck. If you spend a lot of time working at a desk, like us, you may also experience tightness problems with this muscle since you spend many hours hunched over your computer screen. The discomfort and pain that you experience on this muscle will be sufficient to get you to want to do something about it. 

How to do the Levator Scapulae Stretch

–    Start this exercise by adopting an upright posture. Your shoulder blades should be gently drawn downwards.

–    Gently rotate your head to the right as you use your right arm to reach over your head, and to rest it right above the left ear.

–    You should then draw your head and the neck slowly and gently towards the right to achieve a perfect stretch. This should be accompanied by you bending your neck softly.

–    Hold that position for about 30 seconds, and repeat for about three times.

This is a stretch that you can perform whenever you feel some tightness or soreness in the Levator Scapulae.

Pectoralis Minor

If you find yourself sitting a lot these days and hunching over a computer, you could potentially be suffering from poor posture. This is a pectoral muscle that most people forget to stretch, but if you want to have great posture you should work on elongating this muscle.  In the video below you can see a great way to stretch the pec minor muscles. When tight, this muscle can pull the front of the shoulders forward, which can make your back round into a “hunchback” shape.

How to do the pectoralis minor stretch

–    Sit in an upright posture and place your arms behind the neck with your fingers intertwined.

–    Draw your elbows backward. The chin should be tucked in throughout.

–    Attempt to make your shoulders reach your ears.

–    Hold this position for 30 seconds, and repeat the stretch three times.

Breathing with the Diaphragm

The diaphragm is a large muscle at the base of the lungs and is helpful in taking and releasing very deep breaths. You might be familiar with this type of breathing technique if you have ever taken yoga classes.  Most people rely on shallow breaths that only engage the upper lungs and their chest muscles. It is, however, important to see to it that your diaphragm is utilized and that it stays strong. This technique is also excellent for slowing down breathing and helping you relax. 

How to do diaphragmatic breathing

–    Lie on the floor or sit comfortably.

–    As you inhale, try to make sure that you are breathing down towards the stomach, such that you can see your stomach begin to inflate like a balloon.

–    As you exhale, you should squeeze the abdominals hard enough to push out the air from the bottom.

Don’t forget an important part of soothing your back is to make sure you have an ergonomic work from home set up. Make sure you have your monitor set up so that it is eye level and you are not hunching or straining to see your screen, a chair that is the right height for your desk, and even a standing desk option if that applies to you.

This post was submitted by Dr. Jag Dhesi Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant and Culinary Nutrition Expert.