How to correct your poor standing habits to avoid back pain

According to Chet Cunningham author of the Sciatica Report,a good standing position supports your body in a perfectly balanced stance while using relatively little muscle energy to do it.

Good posture means there’s a straight line from your ear, down through your body, through the middle of your leg and to your foot. No forward thrust of the chest or the buttocks pushed out to the rear.

And it’s important because if you stand correctly, you put less pressure on your spine.

Cunningham explains that standing tall is a term many physical therapists use to urge their patients to pull in their stomachs, pull in their buttocks and get a more straight-line posture.

So any time you find yourself slipping remind yourself to stand tall.

Are you guilty of these poor standing habits? Find out how to correct them and protect your back

#1: Poor standing habit: The leaning crane stand

With a leaning forward stance, your knees are pushed backwards and locked into place. This tips your pelvic and lower back area forward and increases the arch in your back. This position may also push down your chest bringing the head and neck into a forward and dropped down position.

The leaning crane is extremely stressful on body muscles!

Because it makes you feel like you’re going to fall forward, your body muscles compensate by pulling back to keep you standing.

If you’re guilty of this bad posture habit it’s time to change it.

How to correct this poor posture position: First unlock your knees, allowing them to move forward so they bend slightly and so they’re directly above your ankles. Your new knee position will automatically help you level your pelvis so it’s better aligned over your legs.

Take a deep breath, lift your chest so it’s aligned over your pelvis. Lift your head and straighten your neck so you have a straight line from your ear, down your spine, through your pelvis and down your leg.

This new corrected posture will take a lot of strain off your lower back and at the same time reduce muscle use and tension.

#2: Poor standing habit: The slump stand

The slump stander tilts his pelvis outward and bends his knees too far throwing the body out of alignment.

To correct a slump-standing posture, unlock your knees and bring them back to a normal position (slightly bent).

How to correct this poor posture position: Pull back your shoulders straighten your neck and head. As you do this, your chest will come up and your rounded back will be gone. Imagine a straight line running down your side from head to ankle and your body should be aligned with that line.

Adopting good standing habits will ensure you put less pressure on your spine and avoid back pain.