Does our generation have the worst posture?

In the information age, it’s not unusual to spend 10 or 12 hours behind a computer. The effect of the posture we have when craning our necks forward (even slightly) and hunching over can compound as we repeat the same routine over and over.

Every time we check our phones, we bend our neck down and keep it in the same position which can strain our muscles and cause headaches and neck pain. Out body’s structure slowly changes and adapts to this, resulting in misalignment and pain. While we all may tend to make these mistakes without realizing it, there are solutions we can take to address the complications.

Sitting in that position causes the chest muscles to tighten and the muscles of the upper back to weaken and loosen, can cause the shoulders to rotate forward.

The solution is to stretch to relax tight chest muscles. First, place your arm against the wall on the side of a doorway in a high-five position, with your elbow bent 90 degrees. Take a step through the doorway and feel the stretch in your chest and the front of your shoulders. Hold this position for 30 seconds and do 3 sets, four times a day.

Exercise to strengthen the trapezius, the main muscle of the back. Lie on the floor, face-down, and place both arms at a 90 degree angle in a high-five position. Maintaining the same angle at the elbow, lift both arms by dragging your shoulders backwards and pressing the shoulder blades towards each other. Hold this position for five seconds. Repeat three sets, four times a day.

The techniques described above won’t solve posture problems from the root; rather they are methods to manage pain that should be coupled with regular adjustments from your chiropractor. Regular adjustments restore the natural curvature of the spine and reverses what the stressors of everyday life do to your posture and body.