Posture - Which one are you? Part 3

A very common posture that a lot of people adopt is the Forward-head posture.

It is incredibly easy to find yourself in this posture. In an age of screens – phones, tv's, work monitors, and long hours sat, driving or behind a desk, it’s no wonder we find ourselves so often sat in this way.

For every inch your head is further forward than it should be, its relative weight increases by 10lbs!! This puts a huge strain on your neck extensors. They quickly become over-worked and painful.

The neck muscles at the front become under-worked and lazy and weak, making them less able to do their job when required.

Breathing is again inhibited, making the accessory breathing muscles work harder, causing them to become over-worked, setting them up for over-use injuries.

A lot of us don’t have a choice and need to spend hours driving or looking at a screen everyday but there are a few things you can do to help;

Get up – find an excuse, any excuse, to get up from your desk and move. Aim to do this at least once every hour - Movement is medicine.

Adjust your workstation – make sure your monitor is at the correct height and distance, your seat provides adequate back and neck support and your arms are in a comfortable position when typing. You can also elevate your feet on a step or foot stool to battle lumbar lordosis.

Look around – I am as guilty as anyone for being glued to my phone but if you look up once in a while you’ll not only benefit your posture but you may even be aware of what’s going on around you!