It’s hard to start new habits, but when the new year begins, we all try. If you want to create the habit of correct posture for the new year, you’re in the right place. If you’re not sure why you would add correcting your posture to your new year’s resolution list, here’s why: having good posture improves your balance, provides you with better circulation, helps give you energy, reduces your risk of injury, improves your breathing, and, most importantly, reduces your back pain. So here are a few steps to start your new year upright:
1. Start off slowly. Starting off slowly will not only be good for your back muscles, but it will also be easier to create a habit. Adding one small thing to your regular routine at a time will help you create a new habit. If you have a great nighttime or morning routine set up, add a simple stretch into your normal routine or a Chirp Wheel rollout session to begin to create a new habit. When you feel like the first step is part of your new routine, add one more item to your schedule until you’ve accomplished your goal.
2. Be aware of your posture. The first step to fixing something is to know when it’s wrong. Keep reminders around your house or workplace to help you remember to have better posture. Keep the Chirp Wheel by your desk at work, and use it to roll out when you’re feeling tight shoulders. Use the Deep Tissue Chirp Wheel as a posture corrector in your chair. Write notes to yourself or put alerts in your phone as reminders to have good posture throughout the day. Be accountable to someone else about your posture. Doing these things will help you start to keep your posture in the front of your mind, and that alone will help you start to correct yourself.
3. Incorporate simple posture correcting stretches into your day. Read this blog post to see particular stretches that can help you correct your posture. When you have a free moment in your day, do these stretches to help keep your shoulders loose and to give your muscles a break.
4. Remember that good posture isn’t just for sitting. It is important to maintain correct posture no matter what you’re doing. When you stand, stand tall. When you sit, sit tall. When you lift objects, maintain the natural curvature of your spine and bend at the knees. Maintaining correct posture throughout your day will help you avoid injury and back pain.
5. Do strengthening exercises. As you have had poor posture over the years, the muscles required to maintain correct posture have weakened. Doing core strengthening exercises to strengthen those muscles again will help make it easier to maintain correct posture. You can also incorporate yoga into your workout routine to help strengthen your muscles so it is easier to maintain correct posture. Check out this blog post on how to use yoga for correct posture and back pain relief.