The Link Between Posture And Technology

The Link Between Posture and Technology:
How Your Gadgets May Lead to Injuries

In today’s technologically advanced world, it is so easy to become overly dependant on your devices. To the point to where you are even walking whilst looking down at your phone, causing a slouched posture. We do it a lot more than we even realise. Also using the computer for your daily work routine, overuse of screens shining on your face and sitting down all day long leading to bad posture. Health professionals have seen an uptick in headaches and pain in the neck, back and face. They say it is increasingly linked to poor posture. There are ways to prevent the damage from happening though, it just takes perseverance and trying.

The Link between Posture and Technology

Hunched over, slouched shoulders and back rounding is how most people use their gadgets in a working atmosphere. Leaning off desks, necks slouched forwards to see what is on the screen, mouse hand scrunched up on their dominant side. Our bodies were not unfortunately designed to be sat like this for extended periods. Your weight can also play a big role in how good or bad your posture is during these daily activities which we cannot run away from unfortunately.

Facts/Tips:

• NSP: only lumbar lordosis is related to the presence of prolonged chronic NSP (Neck, shoulder/pain).

• Sit up with your back straight and your shoulders back. Your shoulders relaxed and your body supported against the back of your chair with perhaps a chair rest. Try putting a pillow or a rolled towel between your lower back and your seat. Keep your feet flat on the floor and the top of your computer screen in line with your eyes.

• Females sit more erect with a more lordotic lumbar posture in comparison to men.

• 30 days can make a real difference in improving posture, because research shows that it takes three to eight weeks to establish a routine.

• Consider using a special headset if you spend a lot of time on the phone, as holding a handset between your head and shoulder can strain muscles and cause headaches.

• Avoid headache triggers. Keeping a headache diary can help you determine what triggers your headaches so that you can avoid the triggers. ...

• Get enough sleep each night, don’t skip meals (going too long without eating), drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, reduce caffeine and this will reduce your headaches.

• Daily stress can easily lead to chronic headaches. Try to do activities which reduce stress and take your mind off work throughout the week and make time for it.

• Improving your posture can play a big role in improving your headaches and taking frequent computer breaks to avoid eye strain.

• Try to leave all technology aside before you sleep and be clear for about half an hour before going to sleep.

Change Your Posture and Decrease Your Pain

Top Tips:

• When using a mobile device, avoid slouching over and instead use your arms to hold your phone in front of your face. Keep your phone at eye level and when talking on the phone, avoid balancing your phone between your shoulder and your ear at all costs. Keep your head up straight, literally, and you’ll find that you can easily control the effects of technology on your posture.

• Have a daily routine of stretching and mobilisation exercises in the mornings and evenings and even on your breaks. Do exercises at the gym which are for a purpose and not just for the sake of going to the gym. Set goals to help improve your dysfunctions. Don’t make the excuses up of having not enough time, because time can be made very easily and leave your technology before you sleep and sleep earlier so you can get up half an hour earlier to do exercise.

•  These are all just bad habits which we don’t need in our life’s. It is actually very easy to make time for exercise and incorporating different activities into our life’s. on top of having busy careers. Try and sit down one day and note down how many unnecessary things you do on your day to day basis and highlight them with a pen. Stick them on your wardrobe. Slowly try to break those habits.

• Every 30 minutes getting up from your sitting position and going for a small walk round the office and stretching off your limbs can be incredibly beneficial. And for a real treat try rolling your shoulders forward a few times and then back and rolling your headfirst in one direction and then in the opposite.