by Dr. Michelle Irwin

So, there is something to be said for understanding the dos and don’ts of certain aspect of our lives. This seems pretty basic, right? Knowing what to do in a situation or how to do it significantly impacts how much we enjoy the activity and our success.

When it comes to posture, we all know after the fact that we have had at some point “bad posture”. I hear it daily. But why do we accept that this is just part of life? Is it because we just don’t know what to do about it?

Well, here are some dos and don’ts for posture and the most common mistakes that are made.

• Do sit straight in the chair with head over the shoulders and with both feet on the ground in front of you.
• Don’t sit twisted up like a pretzel with one foot under you, tilting to the side, and your head in front of you being sucked into what ever device or activity you are doing.
• Do stand up more through your day with your head and spine stacked in alignment and shoulders back so that your muscles can relax and you are still upright.
• Don’t stand bent forward with your shoulder hunched over such that if you were to relax your muscles, you would fall forward on your face.
• Do hold your phone up to your face and look straight ahead.
• Don’t look down to your phone curled up in a ball.
• Do use tummy time as a way to build your back muscles and still be on your computer or doing what you need to without getting into a curled up position.
• Don’t get stuck in one position all day long, curled up and twisted to the point that you ache getting up out of the position.

A common mistake that people make is thinking that posture is all about muscles. The truth is that it is only half the problem (or even less). In the beginning, it will feel tight and sore in the muscles, but when our bodies adapt to the strains of these positions, they will grow the way we hold them. Just like how can make a tree or plant grow in the way we tie or brace them, so does our spine grow. When our spine grows in a position that is away from ideal curves, we put stress and strain on our nervous system and then we get body signals that don’t make sense resulting in poor functionality. Making sure that the foundation of our spine is in the right position, with the proper curves allowing us to spring through life is essential for optimal health and wellness. That is why we work so hard to help people of all ages maintain a proper healthy spine and nervous system!