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How do I Correct my Bad Posture?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

To correct your bad posture, it first is important to stop slouching and hunching over. While it may seem unnatural and difficult to keep the shoulders and back straight at first, perseverance in doing so can help correct bad posture. Purchasing ergonomic chairs and furniture can help improve posture as can learning to sit in regular chairs properly. People also can exercise and keep their bodies in shape to correct poor posture. If these measures fail to achieve the desired results, a visit to a chiropractor may be in order.

Many people slouch into chairs and hunch over to eat, write, read or work on a keyboard without even thinking about their posture. The habit of not properly supporting the back can worsen posture. Using ergonomic furniture, which is designed to prevent bad posture, people can adequately support the back as well as have tables and desks at the proper height. Sitting in a chair too high for the table can lead to slouching and hunching that are not good for your posture. Making a point to choose ergonomic furniture whenever possible can be a good start in correcting your posture.

Doing push-ups may help strengthen the back and ab muscles, which can help a person's posture.
Doing push-ups may help strengthen the back and ab muscles, which can help a person's posture.

Learning to sit straight in any type of furniture is also important since most people don't stay in their own homes or ergonomically correct offices all of the time. When sitting in a car, restaurant booth, dining chair, doctor's waiting room seat or anywhere else, the back and neck should be held straight. There shouldn't be a large gap between the backrest and the lowest part of the back.

A chiropractor might be able to help with posture issues.
A chiropractor might be able to help with posture issues.

Achieving a healthy weight and body tone can often help correct bad posture as well. A flabby stomach places extra pressure on the lower back and spine which can affect posture. Avoiding carrying a heavy backpack is also important, as too much pressure may be placed on the upper body and shoulders.

Doing posture exercises regularly can be helpful for many people. You should speak to your doctor about your bad posture. He or she can recommend the best treatment for you that may include posture exercises. For example, push ups done with the back held straight are often suggested to help improve bad posture. Sessions with a chiropractor can help improve your posture as these medical professionals specialize in treating the spine and back.

To correct bad posture, slouching must be eliminated.
To correct bad posture, slouching must be eliminated.

If exercises and learning to sit straighter don't cause much improvement, a chiropractor may prescribe a posture support device called a brace. There are different types and qualities of posture-improving braces. A brace worn to correct bad posture may support the shoulders, or it may fit in the area where the spine curves to foster better spinal alignment. The better quality braces often feature thick straps designed to fit more comfortably than cheaper devices which may dig into the skin.

Discussion Comments

Euroxati

I don't know how well this helped anyone else, but one way in which I was able to fix my back problems was by constantly exercising everyday. It was quite a process, and it took a while, but overtime, by back felt a lot better. Adding onto this, the reason why my back was so bent out of shape is because I would often slouch in my chair, and when I would sit on my bed and do homework, I wouldn't use anything soft, and my back would be against a hard wall the entire time.

When it comes to some of the physical problems that we have, it's amazing that more than often, we don't realize how important our body parts are until something happens to them. Quite often, we don't know what we have, and it's easy to take things for granted. On a final note, I feel that working out in a gym would help even better, instead of doing your average exercises on the floor at home.

Viranty

In relation to bad back posture, one thing I found that always helps is to use a pillow if you're working on a bed or leaning against a wall. Overall, this can really help with your back posture, and generally speaking, more than often, someone can have a bad back not due to lifting things, or even due to heredity issues, but it might because the surface that they're leaning against is hard. As I said earlier, if you use a pillow or a very soft surface, it might help to ease things up a little bit. Overall though, there are many ways in which one can correct their bad back posture, and this is only one of them.

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    • Doing push-ups may help strengthen the back and ab muscles, which can help a person's posture.
      By: bertys30
      Doing push-ups may help strengthen the back and ab muscles, which can help a person's posture.
    • A chiropractor might be able to help with posture issues.
      By: lunamarina
      A chiropractor might be able to help with posture issues.
    • To correct bad posture, slouching must be eliminated.
      By: bst2012
      To correct bad posture, slouching must be eliminated.
    • Back braces may be worn for posture and back support.
      By: Gennadiy Poznyakov
      Back braces may be worn for posture and back support.
    • Although an ergonomic chair can greatly improve posture, it's still important to take stretch breaks throughout the day.
      By: endostock
      Although an ergonomic chair can greatly improve posture, it's still important to take stretch breaks throughout the day.