6 everyday posture mistakes – and how we avoid them, according to experts
It's normal for the body to hurt from time to time: when we've just ramped up our sporting activities, completed a series marathon on the perhaps not-so-comfortable couch - or even (hello,!) when we're caught by a cold. In principle, however, the following applies: For physically healthy people, pain in muscles or joints should remain the exception - and not the rule.
If this is the case, it could be due to how we move in everyday life - at (care) work or in our free time. There are many small movement patterns that are not really good for us, but which we repeat unconsciously anyway, says Dr. Kellen Scantlebury, physical therapist and founder of Fit Club NY. And in the long run these canbecome a problem.
Posture errors can quickly creep in anywhere. While walking, whileor when we check messages on our smartphone (actually a no-brainer: ItcanIt's not healthy to crouch over your cell phone with your neck hunched, right?). The tricky thing is that we often don't notice when we're sitting crooked or in an unhealthy posture. Nevertheless, we should pay attention. Because: Incorrect posture can cause long-term pain, limited mobility or a higher risk of injury.
So that this doesn't happen, we asked. Dr. Scantlebury and two other physiotherapists told us which exercise habits they would like us to break. Don't worry: we don't want to make you feel guilty, we want to help you move in a way that's good for you - just as it should be.
According to psychotherapists, almost all of us make these 6 posture mistakes
1. Your neck is suffering - and your phone is to blame
Do you sometimes find yourself tilting your chin towards the...tend to look at your phone? Don't worry, you're not alone. In fact, almost all of us do it - often for hours on end (if you doubt this, you should take a look at his:her screen time). The phenomenon even has a name: “Tech Neck”. And even if a tense neck just sounds annoying at first (and not like serious pain), it can cause serious damage in the long term. “Ruinous” for themis this attitude, warns Dr. Candace Harding, physical therapist and yoga teacher. The consequences range from neck pain to jaw problems and migraines.
Why is it so problematic when the head tilts towards the breastbone?It’s the physics!Your neck is designed to close your headsupport– and it weighs about five kilos. As soon as you tilt it forward, the angle changes and the pressure on the neck increases. It's as if your head suddenly weighs a lot more, explains physiotherapist Dr. Scantlebury. Imagine if your neck suddenly had to carry seven or eight kilos instead of five. It's no wonder that the muscles complain at some point - and in the worst case, weaken.
The consequences? Pain and clicking in your jaw because your head is in a bad position, or tension headaches because the muscles at the base of your skull are too tight, explains Dr. Harding.
How to save your neck:The best solution: keep your phone at eye level. Yes, really! “It’s best to do it as if you were taking a photo of someone,” advises Dr. Scantlebury. Admittedly, you might get one or two irritated looks. Dr. Scantlebury laughs and says he's constantly stared at on the New York subway because people think he's secretly filming. “But I don’t care – I just want my neck to be healthy in 20 years.”
Also: Make sure your ears are right above your shoulders. This keeps your head in line with your body. What you should avoid is tilting your head back excessively - this is just as unhealthy as the zombie cell phone position. Instead: Allow your chin to drop slightly until you feel the back of your neck lengthen. This ensures relaxation and better posture, explains Dr. Harding.
2. Do your shoulders hang slackly forward? Not a good idea
You may not realize it, but many of us let our shoulders slump forward when we're hanging out on the couch or working on our laptop. "This pattern can overstretch the tendons and ligaments that stabilize your shoulders," explains Dr. Harding. The problem: Once the ligaments are overstretched, they do not contract again on their own. And since the shoulder is already a fairly unstable joint, this makes it even more vulnerable. The result? Unpleasant tension and a higher risk of injury. If your shoulders are constantly hunched forward, you're also putting extra pressure on your tendons - which can damage them over time and only exacerbate problems, warns Dr. Harding.
Here's how to get your shoulders back into position:A simple trick helps: Sit upright (without anything in front of you to support your arms, such as a table top). Pull your elbows toward your body and turn your palms up. Now turn your palms as far away from your body as possible without releasing your elbows from your sides. Then turn your hands back and bring them to the starting position. Voila, your shoulders are back in a neutral position. “Once you know this feeling, you can come back to it again and again in everyday life,” says Dr. Harding. Repeat the exercise whenever you feel your shoulders slip forward or if you feel a pulling sensation. Of course, that doesn't mean that your shoulders always have to be perfectly aligned - but it's good to give them that break regularly.
3. Always cross the same leg? That takes revenge
Whether at a desk, on the couch or in the subway – many of us like to sit with our legs crossed. But: It is usually always the same leg that lies over the other. "Typically one side feels more comfortable because it has more freedom of movement than the other," explains Dr. Scantlebury. The problem: The one-sided posture can shorten the muscles on the less flexible side even more and thus limit the mobility of your hips. And while no body is perfectly symmetrical, severe imbalance can lead to hip pain. Even worse, other areas of your body, like your back, may begin to compensate for the limited hips - increasing the risk of injury.
This is how you sit correctly:Dr. According to Scantlebury, there is one, the "ideal sitting position": Sit with both feet flat on the floor, your ischial tuberosities (the bony bottom of your butt) touching the chair, and your knees in line with your hips. It may feel strange at first because your body is used to other positions. But the more you practice this pose, the easier it will become, says Dr. Scantlebury. And if you really want to cross your legs? Try to put even weight on both sides by changing them regularly. This helps to avoid asymmetries and muscular imbalances.
4. Pull in your stomach and keep your back straight? Maybe on a yoga mat, but please not in everyday life
“Press your back flat on the mat!” – You often hear this sentence in fitness classes when it comes to properly contracting your abdominal muscles during exercises such as dead bugs or leg lifts. There's nothing wrong with that, says Dr. Harding. But if you carry this flat back into your everyday life - for example when shopping or going for a walk - it can damage your back muscles in the long term. “Your spine naturally has a slight curve in the lower back,” explains Dr. Harding. If you eliminate this curve by constantly tightening your abdominal muscles and tightening your pelvis, you make it harder for the surrounding muscles to do their job. Particularly affected: the large lumbar muscles, which support your lower back like ligaments. In the long run, this increases your risk of back pain.
This is how your back finds its balance:A simple way to regain a natural posture: Stand or sit upright and place one hand on your lower back and the other on your lower abdomen, at the level of your hip bones. Now do the cat-cow exercise you might have learned from thisKnow: Alternate between a hollow back (press your back) and a round back (pull in your stomach, make your back completely round). First, push yourself to the limits of your mobility – i.e. as far forward and backward as possible. Then you continue to reduce the movement until you feel like you have reached the middle between the two extremes, advises Dr. Harding. This position is exactly the ideal starting position for your everyday life. By the way: You can do this exercise at any time to correct your posture and ensure a relaxed, stable feeling in your back.
5. Your bike seat is too low. And way too deep
Whether you're cycling to work, going for a ride with the kids or setting new watt records in a spinning class - cycling has an incredible number of benefits for your body and mind. The problems arise when your bike is not properly adjusted to you. A seat that's too low — meaning your knees are at or above hip level — can put unnecessary pressure on your hips and knees, says Dr. Scantlebury.
That can lead to really nasty problems like something called hip impingement (when the head of the femur pushes against the hip socket, which can damage the cartilage and cause pain and stiffness), as well as knee pain or damage to ligaments and the meniscus, he explains. Not to mention, it's just not particularly efficient to cycle like this, as you can't fully extend your legs - thus putting less pressure on the pedals.
Here's how to put your bike seat in the right position:Fortunately, the solution is as simple as it is obvious: adjust your seat correctly. The “right” point varies from person to person, but as a rule of thumb, the seat should be about hip height when standing next to the bike, or even slightly higher. When you reach the lowest pedal position, your legs should still be slightly bent. (Of course, a seat that's too high can also cause problems, such as having to reach too far for the pedals. If you're unsure how to find the ideal adjustment for you, you could consider a professional-Use fitting.)
6. You sleep on your stomach (because it's just so comfortable)
It may feel cozy as you fall asleep, but unless your bed is a massage table—with a cutout for your face—you're probably sleeping with your head turned to the side when you sleep on your stomach. This can have a long-term effect on your posture because the neck and facial muscles on the side you're lying on shorten while the muscles on the other side stretch, explains Dr. Harding. "This imbalance in muscle loading can affect how well all muscles work overall," she says. The Cleveland Clinic also recommends against iton the stomach because it does not correspond to the natural alignment of the spine, would put strain on the lower back and could lead to neck pain.
This is how you find the right sleeping position: It may feel strange at first, but sleeping on your back or side is simply better for your neck and spine. Dr. Harding suggests trying it out first – for 20 minutes. If the position still feels uncomfortable, turn over onto your stomach again without worrying - and try again the following evening.
Do you feel like all the things above apply to you? Then you should continue reading here (and don't worry:It’s not the end of the world)
Good posture is important - but it's not about staying upright all the time. “The most important thing is exercise,” says Dr. Harding. “If you lose body tension every now and then, it’s not dramatic per se – it just depends on how long he or she stays in that position.” Problems such as pain, stiffness and tension would only appear over time. In other words: Looking at your cell phone with your head bowed or letting your shoulders slump forward is okay as long as it doesn't become a permanent situation. Our bodies are designed to move in many directions (even those that may not get top marks when it comes to posture). The key is not to stay put for hours and move around every now and then. This prevents pain – and is more fun too.
