Is bad posture causing you pain and discomfort? "Your spine is the reference point and attachment site for every major muscle in your body, helping to efficiently balance and support your body weight," orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kenneth Palmer tells Houston Methodist On Health. "When your spine is properly aligned, you benefit from optimum use of your muscles. When your spine is out of alignment, however, your muscles work harder and become fatigued more easily, and this imbalance can lead to muscle and joint pain." Here are 5 common mistakes ruining your posture.
RELATED: 10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Posture.
1. Monitor and Keyboard Are Not Aligned
iStockFor those who spend a lot of time in front of the computer, make sure your computer monitor is at eyeline and your keyboard is aligned. "For your head to be in balance, it needs to be directly in line with your pelvis," says Dr. Palmer. "If your feet and hips are pointed at your keyboard but your head is twisted, even slightly, to focus on your monitor, it can overwork the muscles in your neck. This can then lead to pain in your neck and shoulder blades.”
2. “Tech Neck”
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Your smartphone addiction could be ruining your posture. “Tech neck, or text neck, is a postural distortion caused by the constant downward gaze on smartphones and other handheld devices,” physiotherapist Luis Ribeiro tells Harper’s Bazaar. “This position strains the cervical spine and can result in chronic neck pain, muscle imbalances, and degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs between each vertebra.” This is especially problematic while lying down in bed. “This position places undue stress on the cervical (neck region) and thoracic (the upper and middle) spine, resulting in muscular imbalances and strain injuries.”
3. Sitting Too Much
iStockSitting too much is not good for your health or your posture. "The benefit of standing while doing computer work is that standing allows you to keep your spine in normal alignment, meaning your muscles have to work the least," explains Dr. Palmer. "A seated position, on the other hand, makes your spine less effective, resulting in more demand on your back and neck muscles. Your core muscles need to be very engaged, something many people neglect. Sitting also reduces your blood circulation, especially in your legs, and can place strain on your leg muscles, particularly your hamstrings and quadriceps muscles."
4. Wearing High Heels
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Wearing high heels can shorten your achilles and ruin your posture. “Wearing high heels frequently can induce lumbar lordosis, an excessive inward curvature of the lumbar spine,” Ribeiro says. “This postural deviation increases the load on the lower back, causing muscle imbalances and potential chronic pain. Prolonged use of high heels can lead to the shortening of the achilles tendon, resulting in a higher risk of tendon injuries, bunions and limited ankle mobility.”
5. Not Moving Enough
ShutterstockEven if you stand while working, it’s still important to move frequently. "Simply standing while doing computer work isn't enough, though. You can have bad posture while standing, too — whether that's because you're not establishing correct posture, you're not engaging your muscles properly or you're making one of the work desk mistakes above," says Dr. Palmer. "In addition, you still need to move around while standing. Make sure you're shuffling your feet from time to time or doing light standing stretches for your legs, arms and neck."
