Heads up: 3 mistakes that harm your posture

Nowadays, when many people lead a sedentary lifestyle, the problem of posture has become especially important. A whole day in an uncomfortable position with a strained back is not good for your health. Posture doesn’t just affect your appearance: if you don’t do anything about it, it can lead to serious problems in the long run. Here are some of the most common mistakes that can harm your posture.

Mistake 1: holding your posture by willpower

You straighten up sharply and decide to walk like that forever. But as soon as you do other things, it all comes back. The fact is that we have two types of movements: conscious movements, which are controlled by the brain, and automatic movements. Posture belongs to the latter, so you can’t control it.

Mistake 2: Trying to “pump up” your posture

For healthy posture, it is important to first learn to relax your muscles and only then move on to strengthening them. Exercises with your own body weight and sports that involve a variety of movements are good for this.

Mistake 3: thinking that posture is only about muscles

In fact, posture is also a state of mind. The way a person holds themselves depends a lot on their inner feelings and self-esteem. If you are confident and uninhibited, comfortable in your own body, it will be much easier to hold yourself upright. Therefore, it is important to monitor both muscles and thoughts.

How to correct posture?

Posture can be trained at home with the help of special simulators or improvised means. Even an ordinary plastic water bottle will do. Try to keep your balance on it when you are doing other things (for example, washing dishes or brushing your teeth). Or try standing on one foot while talking on the phone.

Improve ergonomics and reduce hypodynamia

These two very difficult words are actually familiar to everyone. We sit at an uncomfortable chair, carry our bag on one shoulder, tilt our head toward the phone when we answer – all of these are ergonomics. And hypodynamia is a decrease in motor activity. Properly organize your workplace and reduce the number of hours you sit.

Position your computer screen so you don’t have to constantly look down. If you work on a smartphone, raise it higher.

Add variety to your movements

It’s not uncommon for people to pump up one muscle group in the gym, which isn’t good for posture. Try adding dance, tennis, soccer – activities that require a variety of movements and quick switching between them. You can also add something new to your usual workouts. For example, if you’re running on pavement, switch to cross-country running.

For more on how to correct your posture, check out the video on “Championship”.

Worry less about appearance

Try not to worry about how you look from the outside and the impression you make on others. If you think about it too much, you will definitely start to move more stiff and withdrawn and slouch more.