Slumping in Your Chair? Here Are 5 Quick Fixes

If you’re like many Americans, you probably work at a desk for eight hours a day. These sedentary jobs have expanded to make up over 80% of the market in the United States over the past few decades. That means people are slumping in chairs over their laptops and phones, setting them up perfectly for bad posture habits. Fortunately, you can save yourself from inevitable health issues that bad posture creates.

1. Get Yourself Seated Correctly

Everyone knows how to sit in a chair. However, you may not have realized that a little technique can help you avoid posture issues. If you slouch over in your seat, your joints and muscles are strained, and you’ll put stress on your spine. It can be more challenging for your lungs to function since your position impacts your organs.

These pointers will help you maintain better posture:

• Sit up straight.
• Relax your shoulders.
• Adjust the chair so you can sit with your feet on the floor.
• Push your back against the chair to support your spine.
• Keep your head straight.
• Position your computer so it’s eye level.

It can help to set a reminder on your phone that tells you to check your posture every hour. This way, you’ll eventually develop a habit — and you won’t even have to think about your posture. There’s no problem with the occasional slouch, but you shouldn’t be slumping in the chair when you’re at work.

2. Try Some Yoga Exercises

If you work out, you might include a few stretches when you’re done with your routine to keep your body limber. Why not add some yoga exercises into the mix? These positions will not only help with posture — but you can also improve strength and flexibility, among other benefits.

Here are a few poses to try:

• Child’s Pose
• Cat Cow
• Seated Twist
• Tiger Pose
• Shoulder Stand

Look into yoga poses that match your skill level so you can find ones that work for you. Take around 15 minutes every day to stretch out your body. It’ll feel fantastic, and you can work on your posture and your overall physique as a result.

3. Remember to Stand Tall

Keep in mind that slouching isn’t limited to sitting. If you’re standing with your head and shoulders pushed forward, you’re slouching — and you need to fix that ASAP. Then, you should find that sitting properly comes much easier.

• Stand with your back straight.
• Pull your shoulders back, dropping them down to relax.
• Place your feet so they’re shoulder-width apart.
• Keep your head straight with your chin tucked in slightly.
• Bend your knees a bit.

This change in position won’t just help your body feel better. It’ll help your appearance, as standing taller pushes out your chest and tucks in your stomach, which might just make you look stronger and slimmer. It’s a win-win!

4. Set Aside Time for a Walk

There’s a reason doctors and researchers say sitting for extensive periods leads to higher mortality risks, especially in people with existing health conditions. If you’re slumping in your chair, you may be more likely to experience certain effects. That’s why fitness matters.

When you have the chance, you should set aside time to move your body throughout the day. Take 10 minutes on your lunch break to walk around the block. If you can’t get outside, you can pace around the house during phone meetings. Remember to stretch your limbs, too.

Do your best to get up every hour.

5. Adjust Your Sleeping Position

How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? If your body feels achy or sore, you probably have bad sleep posture. That usually happens because you’ve fallen asleep in a certain position. Fortunately, you should be able to use a few handy tricks to fix that issue.

There are three kinds of sleepers: side, back and stomach. If you sleep on your side, you should be sure not to pull your knees up to your chest too much. Keep them just slightly bent. If you’re partial to sleeping on your back, you should choose a smaller pillow to support your neck. Those who lie down on their stomachs need to use a thin pillow.

Remember to avoid soft mattresses, as well. These beds might feel comfortable at first, but your body will be worse off in the future. Instead, you should go with a firmer option. If you want the surface to feel plusher, you can always add a mattress topper.

Add These Ideas to Your Daily Routine to Mend Your Posture

From slumping in a chair to slouching over a computer, you probably have some bad posture habits — just like many others. This issue can negatively affect your health, which means you should work on solutions to help your body. These ideas will help you make progress so you look and feel great.