April 13, 2010 — The Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (AECC) is supporting the theme of this year’s Chiropractic Awareness Week, April 12-13, 2010, encouraging the nation to take better care of its posture.
Posture refers to the alignment and positioning of our body and plays a crucial role in our overall wellbeing, from the energy we need to breathe to reducing headaches and neck pain while we work.
Good posture ensures that the distribution of gravitational force throughout the body is balanced and that we are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible.
The British Chiropractic Association (BCA), the organizers of Chiropractic Awareness Week, has released a number of simple tips on how posture can be improved, such as:
• Try to relax when you are sitting in a chair. Make sure you have your bottom against the seat back and your shoulder blades are touching the back rest of the chair. If leaning forward your spine should be straight and the natural curves maintained.
Avoid stiffness by doing shoulder shrugs, buttock clenches and foot circles (more information on those exercises can be found at www.straightenupuk.org).
• If using a laptop, don’t sit in the same position for long periods as you are looking down on to the screen. Rest the laptop on a table, not on your lap, arms should be flat and your elbows level with the desk.
• Muscles and joints are designed for movement so. Regular walking will help improve muscle tone, circulation, and posture.
There are a number of factors, which can cause poor posture, including stress, fatigue, pre-existing musculoskeletal problems, unsupportive footwear and being physically unfit. Another issue can be the type of bag we use.
Source: Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, www.aecc.ac.uk
