From sticking your bottom out to crossing your legs, find out how everyday standing and sitting habits can cause back pain and other ailments.
This subject is as long as it is wide so I’ve decided to cover it over two parts.
Correcting your posture may feel awkward at first because your body has grown so used to sitting and standing incorrectly
If your bottom tends to stick out or you have a pronounced curve in your lower back, you may have ‘hyperlordosis’, which is an exaggerated inward curve in the lower back creating a ‘Duck’ posture. This is often caused by tightness in your lower back and hip flexors and weakness in your core muscles, hamstrings and buttocks.
These muscle imbalances tilt your pelvis forward and can cause lower back stiffness and pain. Wearing high heels, excessive weight around the stomach and pregnancy can all cause this posture.
Leaning more on one leg while standing, sometimes referred to as ‘hanging on one hip’, can feel comfortable, especially if you’ve been standing for a while, but it’s often the result of weakness in some muscles. Instead of using your buttocks and core muscles to keep you upright, you place excessive pressure on one side of your lower back and hip.
Over time, you may develop muscle imbalances around the pelvis area which can cause muscular strain and pain in the low back and buttocks. Other causes of uneven hips include carrying heavy backpacks on one shoulder and mums carrying toddlers on one hip.
To improve this posture, try to get into the habit of standing with your weight evenly distributed on both legs. Exercises to strengthen your buttocks and core muscles will help correct uneven hips.
If you spend several hours a day working on a computer, you may unconsciously find yourself adopting poor postural habits such as hunching over your keyboard. This position is usually a sign that you have a tight chest and a weak upper back. Over time, this type of posture can contribute to you developing a rounded upper back, a condition called kyphosis, which can cause shoulder and upper back stiffness and pain.
When hunching over a computer, your head may tend to lean forward, which can cause stiffness and pain in the neck. Mobile device usage can also encourage you to hang your head and can cause similar problems dubbed ‘text neck’.
This article will continue on next week’s blog but if you wish to find out more before it is published please contact me on
07931730999 or info@keithcorefitness.co.uk