Unfortunately, modern life involves a lot of sitting or sedentary activities throughout the day. 

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Most working days for too many of us have a day  structured something like this:

1. Sit down to drive  to work
2. Sit down at your desk
3. Sit down for lunch
4. Sit down to drive home. 

This type of lifestyle isn’t conducive to a happy, healthy spine, so we’re here to share with you some of our tips on how you can get back your posture. 

It starts in the bed. 

Whenever possible we recommend sleeping on your back or your side. Unfortunately, tummy sleeping places a lot of pressure on your upper spine and neck as you force your head out to the side. It might feel comfortable in the moment, but the long-term impacts aren’t good, especially if you’ve been waking up in pain. Try to find a position that is comfortable, with your spine in a neutral position. 

Choose active travel to the office

If you can, we suggest choosing active travel to the office such as walking or riding a bike. Even if you can only ride your bike to the train station, a partway commute by bike is still better than nothing. 

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According to the University of British Columbia, regular public transit users are three times more likely to meet fitness guidelines!

Choose a stand-up desk

Where possible, we always suggest choosing a stand-up or a sit/stand desk where possible. A stand-up desk keeps you active throughout the day, something which is critical for a healthy spine. It also means you can’t slouch into a chair. 

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Additionally, studies have found a strong link between increased sitting time and early death. This is not surprising given the strong association between sedentary time, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

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Keep moving

It is important to keep moving throughout your work hours. This is especially important if you are sitting down most of the day. We recommend that you get up from your chair every 60 minutes for a quick stretch, walk, stair walking. You can for example walk the other side of the office or down stairs to fill up your coffee cup or water bottle.

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Try also to go for a little walk or in general move around during your lunch break, You can for example walk to a cafe that is further away than your usual cafe. 

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There are a number of stretches out there to help keep your spine mobile and active, we recommend the Body Weight Warrior on YouTube which has a series of great videos that show you how to stretch and keep your spine flexible. 

Take care when lifting

We see far too many people come in with avoidable injuries due to lifting things that were too heavy or lifting incorrectly. 

Don’t hesitate to ask for help and always lift with your legs, not your back. 

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Everyone is different and has different work environments and transport options, so choose from the list above a few tips that work for you and your lifestyle. 

Our chiropractor at Forward Chiropractic is here for you. If you have any questions about how we can help you or need advice, we’d love to hear from you. You can get in touch at admin@forwardchiro.com.