Health Tips: Why Improving Your Posture Is a Good Idea

 

 

Health Tips- Why Improving Your Posture Is a Good Idea

Last week, we talked a lot about falls and outlined some research about how we maintain our balance.

And while that research will be very helpful in the future, it doesn’t do much now in helping us prevent falls, which is why today, we’re going to talk about one step you can take to help prevent these kinds of accidents from occurring: improving your posture.

Posture, according to some studies, has a lot to do with how we maintain our balance. One of the main causes of falling“accounting for 41% of total incidents, according to one report is incorrect weight shifting, a result of bad posture.

Recently, the Huffington Post had a great article in its Post50s section that discussed 3 Ways To Improve Your Posture–And Why You Should.

Here are some of the key points taken from the article:

  • The risks associated with weak posture don’t only have to do with falls, but with breathing and joint pain as well. Here is what the article had to say:
  • People with weak posture are more likely to have incidents of cardiovascular and pulmonary issues.
  • Women with bad posture were 1.4 times more likely to die than those whose posture was aligned correctly due to the heart having to pump harder to get blood out of a collapsed chest
  • According to the article, improving your posture can be easy with these various exercises.

Note: It’s always best to consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

Other Posture Exercises

Here are two other posture exercises taken from Eldergym.com. For more, visit their site here.

Good Sitting Posture

Before we begin exercising in a chair, we must adjust our posture for proper alignment.

  • Place your feet flat on the floor, sit back in the chair, lift your ribs and place your spine in a neutral position.
  • You can do this by tilting your hips forward and backward until a comfortable position is found.
  • Then, move the middle of your back (including the ribs) forward and back until you feel comfortable.
  • Finally bring your chin forward and back, making sure your head feels balanced and pain free.

Good Standing Posture

Before beginning the standing elderly posture exercise, we must first make sure our spine is comfortably in a neutral position.

  • Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart, knees soft and arms held loosely at your sides.
  • Draw your attention to your pelvis. Tilt your pelvis forward and backward until a comfortable position is reached.
  • Next ,bring your attention to your back.
  • Try alternating arching your back with rounding your back until a comfortable “middle ground” is reached and you feel comfortable.
  • Then, bring your chin forward and backward until you reach a happy medium and your head is well balanced on your shoulders.

It probably goes without saying that exercise can do a lot to improve your health, but please make sure you consult a professional to ensure that you are fit enough to do any of these exercises. And as always, if you have any questions for us, let us know in the comments or by connecting with us on Twitter.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

—

Photo credit: Self-Healing Resources

“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.pchhc.com.”

by