Bad habits of poor posture are a common cause for lower and upper back pain. If your back hurts too and you want to prevent any future long-term injuries, you can start with some simple corrective exercises to improve the way you sit, stand, and walk. And don’t worry, mastering a good posture doesn’t have to take a lot of time. In fact, it’s often just about being aware of your posture and making sure you don’t slouch in a chair or hunch your back when looking at your phone.
The Bright Side team has collected 10 tips to help you fix your posture. And they’re so easy, you can incorporate them into your daily life from this moment on.
1. Have a specialist tape an “X” on your back.
In the medical world this is, not surprisingly, called “posture taping,” and it’s a common tool used to hold the body in the right position and create awareness of slouching during the day. The cross or “X” form in the figure should be applied when the shoulders are slightly bent backward. If done correctly, this should prevent you from slouching during the day.
2. Keep your feet flat on the ground while sitting.
Many people spend most of the day in a seated position, which makes having a correct sitting posture even more important. It’s crucial that you distribute your weight evenly across your hips and feet. You can do this by bending your knees at a right angle and putting your feet flat on the ground. If your feet can’t reach the ground, you can use a book or purchase a footrest.
3. Support your lower back with a rolled-up towel to prevent slouching.
One of the common causes of lower back pain is sitting in a slouched position. Luckily, you can adjust your sitting position easily with the help of a so-called ’"lumbar support device," for which you can use something as simple as a rolled-up towel. The main point here is that the device you use should be supportive and placed in the small of your back to help support your lumbar spine’s natural forward curve.
4. Put a post-it with a stick figure in your sight to be reminded of your posture.
10 Perfect Posture Life Hacks That Are So Simple, It’s a Sin to Ignore Them
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Postural awareness is very important in the process of adapting a healthy posture in your everyday life. To make yourself think about your posture (before your back starts to hurt) during the day, you can start with something as simple as drawing a stick figure on a post-it and putting it on your computer screen to give yourself a quick reminder to sit up straight.
5. Associate a posture-check with something you do regularly.
Taking a quick look at your phone, having a sip of water, or reading a Bright Side article are all things you probably do multiple times a day. To create more postural awareness, you can teach yourself to ask the question: “Am I sitting correctly