Posture Improvements to Minimize Strain

Posture is often overlooked on a daily basis, but neglecting it can cost you greatly in the form of health decline. In today's age, we are constantly exposed to situations that can be detrimental to our posture. For example, prolonged computer use, smart phone use, or even reading a book in a hunched position can be enough to trigger injury. If you think about your daily activities, you'll notice most people spend much greater time hunched forward or pushing items away from our bodies. It's common to notice weakness and poor function of the musculature in the midback. These issues are commonly a root cause for an abundance of injuries. 

Ideal Standing Alignment: When viewing yourself from the side, imagine a vertical line just in front of the ankle joint that:

1. Equally divides your ear into two halves,
2. Halves the shoulder joint, 
3. Travels through the vertebrae of your low back, 
4. Bisects the bone on the outside of your hip (greater trochanter of the femur),
5. Runs just behind the middle of the knee joint,
6. Finishes just in front of the ankle joint. 

Here are some additional quick tips for proper posture while sitting and standing:

While Sitting:

• Press your back against the chair you're sitting in (if it has one). A small towel roll or cushion can be used to support your lower back by being placed in the curve just above your pelvis.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed and not shrugged in elevation or rounded forward.
• Keep your neck and upper back straight with a slight nod of your chin forward.  
• Keep your feet flat on the floor and if possible, adjust the height of your chair so your knees are level with your hips. 

While Standing:

• Puff your chest slightly, but keep your shoulders relaxed and not shrugged in elevation or rounded forward.
• Keep your head up and look out ahead (forward).
• Make sure your feet are equally spaced and your weight is equally distributed between both. It's common to see people lean a majority of their weight to one side when standing. It's also common to see people rotate one leg outward while doing this (point toe out at angle from body). 

Be watching for our recommended exercise suggestions in an upcoming blog post and don't forget to check out our premium MSM Organic Sulfur to help support your overall health! Learn more about MSM Organic Sulfur.