The start of the new year is when many people set goals. While some of those may have to do with family, work, or hobbies, at least one of your goals for the new year should be related to health. Improving your posture is a very reachable goal, but it can also have a massive impact on your health and well-being.
Most people don’t realize the connection between posture and overall health. The fact is that your spine plays a crucial role in protecting the spinal cord. So your posture can impact your nervous system, which affects every other part of your body. So here are a few tips to get you started on a year of postural improvements.
Photograph Your Posture Journey
One way to observe your improvements is with photos. Have a family member or close friend take a picture of you sitting, standing, at your workstation, etc. Alternatively, you can set a camera on a timer and take the photos yourself.
Seeing your current posture can help you to know what to watch out for and counteract throughout the year. You can periodically take the photos again to observe your improvement. Just remember that long-time poor posture can mean it will take months before proper posture begins to feel natural.
Here are the things to observe in your photos:
- Is your back curved unnaturally?
- Is your ear positioned directly over your shoulder (as it should be), or is it too far forward (the most common posture issue)?
- Are your hips and shoulders even (as they should be)?
Now let’s consider how to correct the issues you find.
3 Ways to Improve Your Posture in 2023
We’re going to give you three ways to meet your 2023 goal for better posture.
- Self-Correct: Pay attention to any hunching of the back that you do while standing, sitting, or at your workspace. Make a conscious effort to correct your posture. You may find that you have to do this over and over throughout the day – especially at the beginning.
- Foam Roller Exercises: Foam rollers are a great way to reduce stiffness, which may occur at first when you are trying to correct your posture. They are easy to use at home, which is why we recommended their use in the early days of the pandemic.
- Chiropractic Care: Of course, long-term posture problems can lead to misalignments that may even make proper posture feel uncomfortable. Correcting those misalignments with chiropractic care can help support your goal of improving your posture and, thus, your overall well-being.
To learn more, contact Ward Chiropractic & Rehabilitation today. We are always ready to support patients at our Fairfax, VA office. Just call 703.672.1661 for an appointment.
