For many people, as they grow older, back pain becomes a part of life. Pain medication and limited motion can quickly become the norm. But it needn’t be that way if you make the positive changes early on in life. Bad posture is a major cause of ongoing back pain, but thankfully it is fairly easy to fix without third-party intervention. So how can you watch your posture in order to reduce your risk of long term back pain? Firstly it is important to know what bad posture is.

What is bad posture?

Bad posture is a lack of the natural alignment of your body in everyday movement. Slouching shoulders, a bent back, and an out of position lower back are all parts of bad body posture. How many times were you told ‘sit straight’ or ‘shoulders back’ a child? Anyone with bad posture right now should really start paying attention.

What can bad posture do?

Bad posture causes a multitude of issues over time. It places unnecessary strain on multiple groups of muscles as well as uneven pressure on your joints. If left unchecked these issues can easily spiral out of control until you are suffering severe consequences from which there may be no going back. Back and joint pain can severely inhibit movement and enjoyment of life in later years. So it is critical that you make efforts to start to fix it now.

Fixing bad posture

As much as shoulders back and sit straight are good advice there is a bit more to good posture than just standing straight. It is best to seek prevention now rather than treatment form someone in the future e.g. osteopathy or similar medical professional. The following advice will give you a brief overview of what to practice in day to day life.

• Sit correctly with the full of your lower back against the back of your chair. Keep your neck in line with your back in a straight line down the chair. Don’t slouch forward and avoid rolling your shoulders. Keep your feet flat. Turn your chair rather than yourself to look around.
• Stand up straight with your back in a straight line. Pull your shoulder blades back and your neck tall. Pressure should be even on your feet and hips. Don’t slouch while standing.
• Stretching helps to avoid stiff muscles. Flexible muscles are less prone to major injuries and allow greater movement. Yoga is great for flexibility and core strength which helps stabilize the back.
• Don’t bend down from the back to pick something up. Hing at the waist if you must but squat with a straight back if you can. Lift with your legs. Not your back.

Conclusion

Back pain puts a serious damper on later life and can drastically reduce your movement capabilities when older. By taking preventative steps now you can really begin to change the course of your future and prevent major issues from coming around to haunt you. Remember prevention is better than intervention. Start now for future benefits.