How to Improve Your Back Posture

 If you spend the majority of your day in an office chair and/or sitting on front of a laptop, then chances are you know all too well the seriousness of bad posture and how it can cause extreme back pain.  As a matter of fact, some people who spend hours upon hours in front of a computer may not even realize how bad their posture is, and as a result may not understand the damage they are doing to their back until it is much too late.

If you have a habit of slouching over when you sit in front of a computer, or even if you have back problems and you’re worried that it could be related to your posture, here are three easy tips on how you can improve your back posture:

Think about How You are Sitting

If you can, try to sit in a chair with a high back so that way whenever you sit down you are forced to lean your back backwards. Also, whenever you sit down try to sit as straight as possible by aligning your ears, shoulders and hips in a vertical line, and try to avoid crossing your legs while sitting as well.

Take Breaks When Sitting for Longer Periods

Sometimes it can be easy to forget that you’re slouching all the time if you sit in front of a computer all day. One simple way to avoid this is to get up out of the chair you are sitting in and walk around for a few minutes to give you (and your back) a break.  You could even try setting an alarm so it will go off every hour or so and then walk around the office and/or your house for a few minutes before sitting down again. 

Yoga Exercises

Yoga is a great way to maintain both of your upper and lower back posture, especially if you commit to doing yoga exercises on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, there are some yoga postures you can do that are specifically designed to improve your back posture!

One of the most effective yoga exercises that is known to correct upper back posture is to link all of your fingers behind your back so that your shoulder blades are stretched backwards, and then slowly bend your upper torso forward so that your head drops down to your knees. Then, slowly raise yourself up to a regular standing position and repeat this movement five to six times a day. 

Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and recent graduate of Elon University. She is currently a resident blogger at an online schools resource site, where recently she’s been researching different online electronics engineering tech degrees and blogging about student life. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Share |