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The Putney Clinic Good Posture Tips
Posture is any position that you hold your body against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. Good posture means the body will be able to maintain correct alignment and minimise stress or strain on joints, ligaments and muscles. Maintaining good posture is vital in helping to prevent injury and here are our tips to help you improve your posture:
General tips for good posture day-to-day
- Get a head, neck and back massage to loosen joints and muscles ahead of your new posture regime!
- Constantly check your posture throughout the day and correct back to neutral alignment if required
- Stay active and try not to slouch whilst watching TV or relaxing
- Pace yourself – life is a marathon, not a sprint!
- Engage in back and abdominal strengthening classes (i.e. Pilates, yoga, core stability etc.)
- Try to maintain a healthy weight for your height
- Use relaxations techniques to de-stress
- Invest in a good mattress and pillow
Posture tips when at the office
- Move regularly throughout the day - get up every 30mins and rotate trunk and head, stretch arms above head and roll shoulders backwards and forwards
- Position your computer correctly at eye level
- Invest in a good chair that is ergonomically designed, adjust the back and seat accordingly
- Maintain an 'S' shape posture as much as possible
- Ask your employer for a workstation assessment - having the correct equipment is a health and safety issue, so your work should be willing to provide this for you
- Keep both feet on the floor or on a footrest when seated at your desk
- Exercise regularly outside of work - the best exercises for good posture include swimming, Pilates, yoga and any exercise that strengthens the muscles of the back and abdominals
Posture tips whilst driving
- Try not to slump in your seat, sit up straight with your lower back supported by the upright of the seat
- Move your seat forward to increase knee flexion (bending) and reduce tension of your hamstrings
- Use a woven seat cover over slippery leather or vinyl seats to prevent your pelvis slipping forwards
- When safe to do so, lower your hands on the steering wheel to 'quarter to three' rather than the traditional 'ten to two' position as this helps to reduce sitting with round shoulders and back
- Set your seat's backrest to approx 10-degree (rather than full vertical) incline as the optimal position for try to maintain a neutral alignment whilst driving
- After a long journey always take a few minutes to shake your legs and arms and do some gentle stretches to loosen the back muscles
Posture tips when gardening
- Gardening can be as vigorous as any sport so make sure you warm up first with some gentle exercises and a series of safe stretches
- Keep all your tools within easy reach whilst you're working to avoid over-stretching to pick them up
- If possible, design in raised beds to your garden to minimize the amount of bending and/or use long-handled tools wherever possible
- Take regular breaks from vigorous digging and/or lifting, do some stretching and get yourself back into neutral alignment
- Use kneepads when sitting or kneeling and don't stay in this position for too long without taking a break and standing up carefully to stretch out the muscles
- After you've finished, warm down with some gentle exercises and safe stretches