5 Daily Habits in Portland of People With Good Posture

What do people with good posture do that keeps them standing so straight? Many who find themselves chronically slouching find themselves jealous of great posture, but see it as something you're either born with or not. It just seems too difficult to have that kind of posture.

Your Portland chiropractor knows this isn't true. Anyone can improve their posture, and it happens with small daily adjustments to your habits! Good posture improves your spinal alignment. Great posture isn't just about looking pretty, it helps improve your overall health. Poor posture can lead to misalignments and pain in the legs, arms, neck, and back--among other possible health problems.

Let's go over five habits you can implement to improve your posture. While doing all of these will help the most, it's often best to add only one or two new habits at a time. After a few weeks, add another. This will make these changes more manageable for building lifelong habits that will turn you into one of the people with great posture.

So what do they do?

1. They Take Regular Breaks During the Workday in Portland

It's easy to get focused on your work. Many believe they don't have time for a break. However, to prioritize your health generally means taking even just a three-minute break once an hour. To make this a habit, set an alarm on your phone to go off once an hour.

Stand up from your desk, stretch your arms, and lean from side to side. When you sit back down, you'll have the chance to recheck your posture and make sure you're not slouching too much.

2. They Have Ergonomic Workstations

At its most basic, this means putting your computer screen at eye level. This may require putting your laptop on some books and getting a keyboard and mouse. Ideally, your arms will be at a 90-degree angle.

It may be difficult to stop crossing your legs, but keeping your feet flat on the floor can do a lot of good for your posture.

3. They Sleep on Their Backs

Or at least, they don't sleep on their stomachs. If you're a stomach sleeper, this can be a particularly brutal one to hear. It may feel impossible to change your sleeping habits.

If you're starting off on your stomach, it may be too much to go straight to sleeping on your back. Start by adjusting to sleeping on your side. Place a pillow between your knees to keep your hips at a better angle.

Even if all you manage is to start the night on your side, with time, this will improve.

When you are ready to start trying to sleep on your back, be patient. It may be helpful to put a rolled-up towel under your lower back. Even if all you manage is to stay on your back for fifteen minutes, that's a start.

Remember that you are asleep for a significant portion of your day. If you can get your sleeping posture right, it can improve your overall posture by leaps and bounds.

4. They Exercise Regularly

When we don't exercise often and we sit slouched all day, our cores weaken. This makes sitting up straight just exhausting. The more you exercise and strengthen your core muscles, the easier sitting up straight will become. This will also help stretch your muscles and get your body into different positions. Exercise has a way of improving your health overall. Never underestimate how much a regular light workout routine can do for your posture.

5. They Visit a Chiropractor

Your Portland chiropractor is your teammate for good posture.

A great chiropractor is enthusiastic about spinal health. They know just how important spinal health is to your overall health.

When your spinal column is misaligned, it can cause pain, headaches, and lead to long term chronic issues. For example, it's common for people with poor posture to develop sciatica, a condition where the vertebrae in the lower back compress or irritate the sciatic nerve after becoming misaligned. This causes pain down one or both legs. It makes mobility difficult and generally disrupts daily life.

When you visit a chiropractor, they can help you address any issues you currently are facing. They can also help you work on your long term plans for your health goals. Don't be afraid to discuss your weight loss goals, posture goals, or pain relief goals with your chiropractor at North Portland Wellness Group. They can talk to you about how chiropractic care can help you reach your goals and also offer you tips for sleep habits, exercise, and even diet that can help you on your wellness journey.

Do you have questions about how chiropractic care can help your posture? Please reach out to our team today.