Are you sitting down? Did you know the “average adult spends 50 to 70 percent of their time sitting.” 1 We sit at computers, in the car, in front of the TV and we usually do it with forward head posture. Just think: “text neck” from the time spent on our phones.
The typical human head weighs 10-12 pounds, which is as much as a bowling ball. Studies show “for every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds.”2 Awareness of posture is important because “forward head posture leads to long term muscle strain, disc herniations, arthritis and pinched nerves.”3 I guess an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.
Here are just a few “ounce of prevention” tips to help you achieve that perfect posture:
1. Think head over hips
2. Lift your phone up when texting
3. Raise your computer screen to eye level
Leading researcher in healthcare, Dr. Dean Ornish pointed out: “Your body has a remarkable capacity to begin healing itself, and much more quickly than people had once realized, if you simply stop doing what's causing the problem.”4 Remember, when life becomes a pain in the neck, keep your head up and things will get better.
Tyler Ryan, DC is a chiropractor and spine rehab expert at Hawaii Pacific Sport and Spine