In today’s world of modern technology, it’s easier to find yourself slumped over a phone or slouched over a laptop for hours every day working or playing a video game. When you are locked on the screen for hours at a time sitting in the wrong position, you may experience problems with your muscles, ligaments, and joints.
When you get used to bending your body when sitting in front of a screen, it’s easy to continue with the same posture even when you are not sitting in front of a screen. If you want to improve your posture sitting, below are the steps to help you reduce slouching.
1. Always Stand Tall
Most people do not pay attention to how they stand and the posture they hold. However, standing tall can have a significant difference in your stance. Follow the below tips to help you stand tall.
- Stand with your shoulders relaxed and pull them back slightly
- Imagine that an invisible string is pulling your head towards the ceiling
- Always stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
- Try keeping your knees slightly bent
- Keep your head level with your shoulders
- Tuck in your stomach
- Shift your weight to your heels from your toes
Good posture starts with how you stand, especially if it’s for long periods of time. To stand tall and maintain the correct posture, always ensure that your head is level and not bent forward.
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2. Sit Correctly
Sitting correctly is essential for the overall posture of your body. We spend many hours at a time working and playing games every day on our computers and phones. This could lead to slouching and bad sitting posture effects.
Use the below tips on how to sit with good posture:
- Buy a working chair that allows your feet to sit firmly planted on the floor
- Always pay attention to the position and placement of your head when seated
- When sitting, ensure the knees are slightly higher than the hips
- Always ensure that your ears are aligned with your shoulders
- Keep your computer at eye level to avoid slouching
When sitting, it’s essential to position your head correctly to avoid bending forward. When you place your laptop at eye level, your chin and shoulders will not slouch or lean forward to look at the screen. You can also use a static desk chair to avoid poor sitting posture, especially when gaming.
3. Keep Moving Around
Even when you are working or gaming on your computer, ensure you don’t hold one position for too long. Whether you are standing or sitting, holding a single position can lead to muscle and joint fatigue, discomfort, and tension. If you are sitting in the same position for hours at a time, the effects on your body may be made worse if you are slouching.
To prevent muscle and joint fatigues, ensure you get up and stretch periodically and take some time to stand up and walk around for a few minutes, especially if you are working for hours at a time.
Look for something to do that can help you flex different joints and muscles in your body. If you work in an office, take a break and go to the kitchen to make yourself a cup of coffee. This will help you flex and relax your joints.
4. Do Wall Slide Exercises
Does your work entail sitting in one position for more extended periods at a time? Doing a wall slide exercise is the best way to reset your body and flex the muscles while keeping an upright posture.
Follow the below steps to do a wall slide:
- Take a break and stand with your butt, back, head and shoulders firmly placed on a straight wall
- Place your legs two feet away from the wall and your arms straight, extending them above your head against the wall
- With your back standing tall, and your chest area open, slide your hands towards your shoulders to squeeze your mid back
- Slide the arms lower than your shoulder height
- Hold the position for a while, then push the hands upwards while still placing your body against the wall
- Repeat this movement 10-12 times
This is one of the best exercises to help your muscles release tension and tightness caused by staying in one position for too long. Bad sitting posture also affects our shoulders and neck, and doing wall slide exercises will help you relieve any stiffness on the neck and shoulders.
5. Child Poses
A child pose is a simple exercise that will help stretch your back and spine and release the tension. It will also help exercise your hamstrings and glutes. To do this pose, follow the below steps
- Sit on the ground on all fours with your knees and hands on the floor
- Slowly sink your hips and thighs down towards your feet and stretch your hands in front of you
- Extend your hands in front of you and place your head on the floor
- Breathe in deeply and try to relax
- Hold the opposition for up to 5 minutes
When doing a child pause, remember to breathe deeply throughout the exercise. If you have big thighs, your legs may not go all the way down; thus, you can use a pillow for comfort.
6. Planks
Having a solid core is essential when looking to maintain a good posture, and building core strength is vital if you want to avoid bad posture habits. Your core includes the muscles around your pelvis and your abdomen.
Doing planks will help you build a strong core and relieve stiffness and pain from your back. To do plank exercises, do the following:
- Start on the floor on all fours and place your hands directly below the shoulders
- Place your knees below the hips
- Shift your weight to your elbows and put your legs straight behind you
- Keep your back straight and tighten your core muscles
- Hold this position for 20-30 seconds at a time
When doing planks, ensure your legs are hip-width apart. When starting out, you may be unable to hold the position for long. However, you will get used to the position the more you do the exercises.
Now You Know What to Do for Proper Posture Sitting
One of the critical tips of not hunching and slouching is being mindful of your posture sitting constantly. You can do this by setting alarms on your phone to remind you to straighten your back and take a break to relax your muscles.
Along with sitting upright, also remember to do some exercises to flex your muscles and stretch your joints. Check out other posts on our site for more life hacks.
