Bad posture? Improve your health with these tips
Working a 40-hour work week can be tough on the body — even if you're sitting at a desk every day.
From sending out urgent e-mails to editing important documents or presentations, good posture might not always be top of mind when you're on the frontline of a busy day.
But even a little slouching can do a world of damage.
"It doesn't just affect the way that you look — it also affects the way that your body feels," said Dr. Liza Egbogah, a manual osteopath and Hollywood posture specialist.
Studies have shown that an upright posture can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Research also suggests posture can influence your hormones, and improvements can alleviate symptoms of depression.
Eghogah joined host Angela Sterrit on CBC's BC Almanac to share some tips on how you can save yourself from bad posture.
Stop 'turtling'
Eghbogah says one of the most common symptoms of poor posture is back pain. For people who are sitting at a desk for eight hours a day, maintaining a good posture is one way to prevent back pain later on in life.
"The goal is to create balance in the body," she said. "If muscles are tight, if joints aren't moving the way that they should — everything [should be] adjusted in order to create balance and therefore reduce pain and improve function."
Egbogah says many people are guilty of "turtling" — or sitting at your desk with your head leaning forward over your body.
"That kind of positioning puts a lot of strains on muscles, especially on the neck, shoulders, and back," she said. "Every time that your head moves forward, past the position that it's supposed to be, the pressure on the entire body is exponentially increased."
Maintaining an upright posture through the day will reduce strain on the joints, Eghbogah says.
You can also expect to burn some extra calories as a result: individuals who maintain the upright stance through an eight-hour work day can expect to burn an extra to 350 calories, according to a study published by American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Maintain a strong core
Pain and stiffness in the neck, back, and lower back are one of the most common symptoms of spinal cord compression — a condition caused by gradual wear and tear of the spine, according to John Hopkins Medicine.
Symptoms of spinal compression can be prevented by maintaining good posture, and doing regular exercise.
"It's hard to make up for sitting for eight or 10 hours a day — but you can definitely slow down the process by keeping the core strong and also keeping the muscles that get shorted and contracted all day by keeping them loose and long," said Eghbogah.
She says maintaining a strong core can stop back pain before it starts. Planks can be particularly effective, she said.
"And many yoga poses — so going to yoga classes and taking five postures that you find really helpful for you and doing those five postures every day is a good way to counteract some of the daily sittings."
