Perfect your posture

Perfect your posture



By Dhany Osman

It is a problem many of us do not realise that we have until it has become a bad habit - poor posture.

While we may remember being reminded by our parents to stand up straight, health experts say that such advice has evidently not been followed much.

'Just walking down the street, you can see a large number of people who need postural education, including many teens,' said physiotherapist Farzad Hafezi of Documentation Based Care Singapore.

Whether seated or standing, it is common to see people slouching or hunched over with their heads protruding, he added. Rounded shoulders that face forward are another sign of poor posture.

If left uncorrected, poor posture can lead to muscle strains in our backs and necks, joint stiffness, slipped discs and the weakening of the ligaments.

'Unfortunately, poor posture has also become an occupational hazard with many people spending long periods of time in front of the computer,' said Dr K.C. Ang, an orthopaedic surgeon in private practice.

So what can be done about poor posture? Mind Your Body finds out:

Causes of poor posture
The term 'posture' refers to the position and alignment of different joints in our bodies, said Mr Farzad.

When we slouch or crane our necks for too long, extra stress is placed on the joints and their surrounding tissues, making them weaker and more prone to injuries.

Poor posture can have a negative impact on how our muscles work, affecting the strength and balance of our muscle groups.

Besides poor postural habits, being overweight or lacking muscle strength due to inactivity can also affect one's posture.

Psychological factors also play a part.

'It is not unusual to see people with low self-esteem slouch more as they lack confidence in how they carry themselves,' Mr Farzad said.

Tall teenagers tend to slouch to fit in better with their shorter friends and busty women may hunch and push their shoulders forward to play down their bosom, he added.

Those in jobs that require long hours of work in a static position - like taxi drivers, receptionists and cashiers - are also more prone to poor posture, said occupational therapist Chen Hui Wen of Changi General Hospital. She said: 'Usually these individuals tend to be in their late 30s to middle-age, are more sedentary in their activities and don't exercise regularly.'

Getting it straight
To measure proper posture, one should be able to draw a line straight down the side of the body connecting the earlobes to the tips of the shoulder, then to the middle of the hips, knees and then ankles.

'The person's centre of gravity should go straight down the body,' said Dr Ang.

He added that a person's head should be balanced to place minimal stress on the neck muscles and that his body should be balanced over the hips and legs without too much pressure.

When seated at a workstation, one should keep one's back straight and sit fully in the chair, using its backrest for support, said Ms Chen.

Shoulders should be relaxed and elbows brought in close to the body. Avoid crossing your legs and ensure that both feet can be placed flat on the floor while seated, she added.

Fixing your posture
Being aware of one's own posture is the first step to correcting it.

Physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and yoga instructors are some professionals who can help, said Mr Farzad.

Exercise, he added, can be a healthy way of correcting posture as it can strengthen the muscles that help support our joints.

He cautioned against using passive support devices like corsets and back girdles as these may lead to muscle disuse and atrophy.

Both he and Dr Ang also shared the view that improving one's posture requires a consistent and conscientious effort.

'Old posture habits die hard, but they do eventually die if you persist,' said Mr Farzad.


This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times on Jan 15, 2009.