Having good posture is important at any stage of your life, but if you’re like a lot of people, the pandemic may be putting a little extra strain on your spine than normal. In today’s blog, we want to take a closer look at some of the ways the pandemic may be challenging your posture and how to keep your spine healthy through improved posture as we continue living during the era of social distancing.
Improving Your Pandemic-Plagued Posture
Below, we take a look at some of the more common ways the pandemic may be testing your posture, and what you can do to avoid an issue from developing.
- Your Work Setup – If you’re like one of the millions of Americans who are working part time or full time from home, there’s a decent chance that your home setup is causing problems for your spine. To ensure your home office keeps your posture in mind, invest in a comfortable and supportive chair instead of working from the sofa or your bed. Strive to keep your head positioned directly above your shoulders and your monitor at eye level. Perform regular posture checks throughout the day. If you find that you’re consistently catching yourself leaning forward or slouching, make some adjustments to your setup so you’re naturally in a healthy posture position.
- Too Much TV Time – If you’re spending more time inside and away from other people, it’s easy to gravitate towards entertainment options like television, video games or your mobile phone. However, too much time staring at an electronic device can take its toll on your spine. You might find yourself sinking into your couch or leaning forward to stare down at your phone, and this will push your spine out of a healthy alignment. Mind your posture when you’re watching television or browsing social media on your phone, and try to limit your screen time throughout the day. If you’re doing active things, odds are your spine will have better natural posture.
- Keep Exercising – Gyms may be closed or operating at a limited capacity, but that doesn’t mean you should skip your regular exercise. Exercise helps to build up muscles that help support our spine and aid in healthy posture. If you’re going for a jog or a run for your daily exercise, keep your head up and positioned above your shoulders. Keep your arms moving back and forth instead of across your chest. If you find that your posture is suffering because you are tired, cut your workout short for the day. A shorter, quality exercise is better than a longer workout that increases your risk of posture problems.
- Summer Cleaning – Spring is a time when we often get the house in order for the warm weather to come, but as we’re spending more time in our home because of the virus, more people are taking on odd jobs around the house. Whether you’re cleaning the gutters, putting in new floors, redoing your bathroom or weeding the garden, be mindful of your posture. Perform regular posture checks throughout the day, and most importantly, know that everything doesn’t need to get done as quickly as possible. Break up the work over the course of a couple of days so that you’re not overstressing your spine. Don’t let a home renovation cause posture problems with your spine.
If you keep these tips in mind and see a specialist at the first sign of a problem, we’re confident you’ll be able to have healthy posture throughout the pandemic. For more information, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today.
