Are you scared of math? Do you know that bad posture or back pain can be one of the reasons of your bad performance at this so called tough subject? That is what has been confirmed by a new study by researchers at San Francisco State University, 125 college students were tested to see how well they could perform simple maths.
The report will give you detailed information about how a bad posture can impair your ability to think as clearly as you can when your posture is right. Read the full report. You can also try a posture corrector, which will not only provide back pain relief but also boost your over confidence as your posture get corrected naturaly.
Back posture and spine
Well I’d like to restrict this article to how your bad posture can impact your overall health and not just mental abilities. We’ll discuss mental health issues later. For now, let’s focus on the most common and highly important back postures that impact our health or spine to be precise.
Keep your spine straight
While working on your desk, you don’t realise how and when you start hunching over your screen and that posture continues throughout the day. As this becomes a routine for most office goers who have to spend 8-10 hours in from of a PC or laptop, they start developing hunchback. What is really noteworthy is that you don’t realise about your hunchback until it starts causing discomfort or back pain.
Will a back posture corrector work?
If you have recently noticed or someone has pointed it out to you about your hunchback, then you need not go for a back posture corrector at this stage. Some of the most popular and effective remedial measures or simply making a few change to your sitting position can do the trick.
Adjust your monitor height
The top of your monitor should be just one or two inches above your eye level when you sit upright without hunching forward. Most modern monitors come with height adjustment features. Make the best use of this feature and adjust your monitor height accordingly. If the maximum possible height of your monitor is still short of your requirement, then consider putting something below your monitor stand or simply replace the monitor with the one that suits you.
Will lowering the chair height be effective for neck or back pain?
Well, this is slightly tricky. This can work only if your thighs remain parallel to the ground and calves make a 90 degree angle with your thighs while your feet touch the ground. If the level of your knees is raised by lowering your chair, then this posture will do more harm than good. Basically, this works only for those who are medium or short in height. If you are tall, i.e. above 5’10’’ ( for men) or 5’3”( for women) or taller, then raising the height of your monitor is the best option.
Laptops, not healthy for back bone
If you really use laptops on your lap, then the sooner you stop doing that, the better. While using it occasionally on your lap is okay, it is advisable that you use your laptop on your desk, whenever possible.
Heavy use of cell phones causes back pain
Though it is true that we cannot do without cell phones in today’s world, it is also true that cell phones influence our body postures a lot and impact our back, neck and of course arms. As you use your cell phone and tilt your head to look at its screen, you are actually putting extra pressure on your spine and neck to keep you in this position. As you use your phone throughout the day, you constantly cause your spine to work extra hard to support you. This results in weakening of your spine and back pain as a result.
As per Kenneth K. Hansraj, MD, Chief of Spine Surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, 15 to 60 degrees of tilt may cause up to 27 to 60 pounds of extra pressure on your spine every time you use your phone.
“In proper alignment, spinal stress is diminished. It is the most efficient position for the spine,”. Good posture is not only good for the health of your spine”, Dr. Hanraj said. Read more about it.
Office exercises for back pain relief
Stretch your chest
You can reverse the effect of hunching over your computer by stretching your chest as many times as you can throughout the day. Simply find a doorway, place your arms on the doorjamb and lean forward as much as you can whilst maintaining your balance. The trick is to feel the stretch in your chest for at least 10-20 seconds every time you do this.
Try to touch your shoulder blades
Though it is not possible to touch both the shoulder blades, you should try to stretch your shoulders backwards as if you were trying to touch both the shoulder blades. Do this as many times as you can and notice the results.
Touch your both hands behind your back
Simply clasp your both hands behind your back , roll back your shoulders, look upwards whilst expanding your chest as much as possible. Remain in this position for 10-20 seconds. Do this as many times as you can. You will notice a remarkable improvement in your posture, overall spinal heath and back pain.
Regular breaks to relieve Neck Pain
While at work, make sure that you take regular breaks. One break every 90 minutes is a must. More frequent breaks such as simply standing up from your chair every half an hour and doing any of the above mentioned exercises can be highly effective.
Yoga
It goes without saying that yoga has many postures and asanas that are highly beneficial for spine health. In fact, it is believed that the more flexible spine you have, the healthier you will be. Your health lies in the flexibility of your spine and this can be developed by practicing yoga on a regular basis, if possible.
Amazon offers some good yoga stuff
Regular exercise– It is not that only yoga is effective for your back. You can choose any form of exercise such as aerobics, stretching or gym to improve blood circulation in your body, heart health and overall well-being.
