“It’s not the load that breaks you.
It’s how you carry it.” — Lou Holz
Good posture is more than just keeping your back straight, shoulders back and tummy in. If a person is simply told to do this they will usually feel uncomfortable because they overwork the muscles in order to force the “good posture”.
One of the goals of Rolfing is to achieve optimal alignment with gravity in relaxed standing, without forcing anything. The way we assess this visually is by looking at the three gravity centres: pelvis, thorax and head. Do they look well stacked or are they incongruent, such as the pelvis tilted forward, the upper ribcage too far back or the head craning forward?
During Rolfing the myofascia is deeply and systematically manipulated so that all the body blocks are well supported: the feet support the legs, the legs support the pelvis, the pelvis supports the ribcage and the head is supported by everything below it. This is frequently achieved over the course of the Rolfing Series of eleven one-hour sessions.
However good posture is more than just an ideal aesthetic about how to stand straight. Good posture is about finding the optimal position so that everyday tasks can be performed with ease and with minimal harm to your body.
The most common areas of pain and discomfort I see in my practice are neck, shoulder, upper back and lower back. The four most common everyday activities that cause this pain are repetitive computer use, phone use, lifting objects and sleeping.
Sitting at a computer
Chair
- Back gently supported by back of chair (avoid leaning full weight backwards). A cushion between your tummy and the table can help to keep your back straight
Feet and legs
- Have both feet in contact with the floor
- Feel your two feet and pelvis as a “tripod of support”
- Do not cross legs or ankles
- Knees level with or slightly lower than hips
- Ankles in front of knees to give support to pelvis and spine
Hands and arms
- Table top at same height as the bend in your elbow
- Elbows close to body level with desk
- There is space on the table to rest your forearms
- Hands level with or slightly lower than elbows
- Wrist support pad for the mouse
- Wrists relaxed and straight (i.e. minimal angle between angle of back of hand and forearm. Bending the wrist back while typing is a common cause of elbow pain)
- Let your shoulders be relaxed and position yourself high enough so that you do not need to shrug shoulders
- If possible put keyboard on slight incline (about fifteen degrees)
Head
- Avoid slumping or craning head forward — “let the information come to you.”
- Computer screen facing you (definitely not to the side) with top of screen roughly at eye level and at arms length
Using the smart phone
“Tech neck” is common nowadays and is caused by slouching to look down at the phone for extended periods of time. Your head weighs approximately four kilos. Because of mechanical leverage every 2.5cm that you hold your head forward is an extra four kilos of effective weight. So if you hold your head forward 7.5cm, this is effectively fifteen kilos of weight which your neck and upper back muscles must support.
- Maintain upright posture
- Keep phone roughly at eye or chest level
- If you must look down at your phone, use your eyes without inclining your neck
- Mantra : Let the information come to me.
Lifting objects
- Face the way you want to move (most back injuries are a result of bending and twisting to the side before lifting a heavy object)
- Bend your knees to take pressure off your back. If necessary place one knee on the floor
- As far as possible keep your back straight
- Hug the object close to you and close to the centre of gravity (just behind navel – the “tan tien”)
- Spread feet apart to give wide base of support, or have one foot slightly forward from the other
- For extra back support, gently tighten buttock and abdominal muscles
- Put one or both hands under the object to reduce overall strain throughout your body
- Hug object and use legs to lift yourself up
- If possible, put down object at waist height
- Slide heavy objects down your legs to put down
- For carrying shopping, distribute weight evenly — two light weights in two hands are better than one heavier weight on one side which puts a torsional strain through your spine and body
Sleeping Position
- Sleeping on back — take pressure off back by placing cushion under knees (square cushion is better than rectangular for under bed covers)
- Sleeping on side — have square cushion between knees, or have top leg forward and resting on cushion. Keep arms relaxed and both in front of body
- Avoid sleeping on front because it strains neck and upper back
Do a thorough research on the type of pillow you choose (best pillow varies from person to person)
Other postural tips
Transitioning from lying to sitting
Turn on your side first, then use hands to push on the bed or floor into a sitting position (avoid heaving yourself up by flexing forward, which can put strain on lower back)
Transitioning from sitting on chair to standing
Instead of pushing your hands on your thighs, trust your legs. Manoeuvre yourself carefully to the edge of chair or sofa and stand by rocking into your legs with one foot placed forward from the other
Reduce hand tension
- Check for hand tension (often caused by repetitive actions and holding hand in extension for long periods of computer use). In my experience people are often unaware that their hands are so tense
- To reduce hand tension deliberately make them more tense by clenching fist for seven seconds. Relax on exhale
Avoid shoulder hiking
Shoulder hiking is where you habitually tense your shoulders and they rise up towards your ears. It is especially common while typing but can happen at any time as a result of stressful situations
To release shoulder tension:
- Hold shoulders up towards ears for seven seconds, then reach down towards floor to increase space between ears and shoulders and hold this position for seven seconds.
- Roll shoulders forward three times and then back slowly three times — slowly, full circles
- Place post-it note on computer to remind you to do the above exercise two or three times during the day
Hopefully the above postural pointers will help you to be more comfortable in everyday activities. In any activity it is worthwhile to check for excessive or unnecessary muscular tension and to explore whether it is possible to be more relaxed in the activity. Mindful stretching, such as yoga, can be a very useful supplement to your postural hygiene.