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Work Wellness

Types of Posture: Which One You Are?

Megan Collins|Mar 25, 2023

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Posture 1: Forward Head
Posture 2: Kyphosis
Posture 3: Swayback
Posture 4: Flatback
Fixing Bad Posture
How To Fix Bad Posture

How many times were you told not to slouch when you were younger? How many adults told you to sit up straight? While the advice was annoying when we were kids, being able to fix your posture at a young age would have been great! Instead, we’ve been crippled with many different types of posture, and none of those types are perfect.

There are several different types of posture, and most of them are bad. Before you can start fixing your bad posture by implementing good habits, you need to figure out what types of the bad posture you are doing. There are four types of poor posture, and here’s how to diagnose your posture and how to fix it.

Posture 1: Forward Head

This is one of the most common types of posture problems. With it, our backs and shoulders are fine, but right as we get up to the neck area, we find that it is bent forward. If you spend a lot of time hunched over and looking down at your computer or your phone, then you are at risk for forward head.

Posture 2: Kyphosis

This posture problem refers to a curving of your upper back and shoulders and is more commonly known as the hunchback position. Your shoulders are rounded forward, and while it can be created from habit, it also has origins with your physical health.

Bone thinning can naturally lead to this as you begin to age, along with the aging of your spine and vertebrae. Other diseases such as polio, infection, and cancer can cause kyphosis as well.

Posture 3: Swayback

Swayback has your hips and pelvis jutting forward, throwing off your spine with a larger inward curve. If you look at yourself in a mirror and see your stomach and rear jutting out, then you might have swayback. This posture typically comes from sitting a lot in a chair that is not an office ergonomic chair and weakens your core muscles in your back.

Posture 4: Flatback

With a name like flatback, you would expect it to be good for your posture, right? Well, this posture comes up when your back is as straight as a board, but you stoop forward. It can be caused by surgery or damage to the spine, making it very hard to stand.

Fixing Bad Posture

If you’ve resonated with one of the four bad posture types, then you probably also know the benefits of good posture. There’s a few of them, and here are some of the best.

Increased Confidence
Reduction of back and head pain
Can stand and sit for longer periods without pain

How To Fix Bad Posture

The first step to fixing bad posture is to become aware of it. Now, every time you sit down or stand against something, you should take a brief moment to correct your posture and be mindful of it. Try to align yourself in your chair with your feet flat on the floor and your back pressed up firmly against the chair’s back.

If you have an electric standing desk, then you should adjust the height until your computer is directly at eye level to prevent you from having to look down at it. You should also try to stand up straight with a straight back as much as possible during the workday.

It is going to be weird at first, especially if you are dealing with a lifetime of bad posture that you need to fix. You might feel like you're putting a lot of pressure on your spine but in a good way. After a few days or weeks of this, your body’s posture should start to get back in shape.

Fixing Posture With Your Environment

Sometimes the things we sit or lay on turn out to be the culprit for our back problems. Try to swap out a sagging chair for an ergonomic one or an office desk, as those pieces of furniture tend to support your posture a lot more. You could even try to change your mattress as well, as your posture is affected by how you sleep.

Finally, some light exercise and moderate stretching can lead to an improved posture. If your posture is really bad, you could work with a physical therapist who can help you stand, sit, and move properly to accelerate the healing of your posture.

Yoga can also help you connect with your body, and the slow stretches and moves can easily help you get your posture back on track. The best way to get your posture fixed is through nothing more than consistency, where you make an effort to correct your posture at every opportunity until it becomes your body’s natural state.

Fixing Posture Medically

If the sitting posture tips and other problems aren’t enough to fix posture that has become painful and detrimental to your everyday health, then doctors can become involved. There are several ways to fix the procedure medically, including surgery and you using a back brace to straighten out your spine.

Other posture correctors can also be used, including some for your legs that can equalize their lengths and improve your walking gait. While medical help shouldn’t be the first option you go to, it should be an option if the other remedies have failed.

Taking Care Of Your Posture

Bad posture can lead to several problems in your body, as your spine or muscles start to lose support due to disuse. If your spine gets out of position and you start to age, the problems can get much worse and much harder to fix, eventually impairing your ability to walk and move.

No one wants that, so make sure to focus on developing good posture habits early before they become irreversible. It doesn’t take too long to relieve your back pain, improve your energy, and improve the amount of time you can spend both sitting and on your feet all day.

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WRITTEN BYMegan Collins

I'm Megan, your office health partner. Together, we'll revolutionize your workspace, ensuring it supports your well-being & helps you achieve your career goals.

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