Be Whole

Have you ever experienced muscle pain?

Then you know how much of a hindrance it can be to your productivity. There are two main categories of muscle pain, which you can read more about, at norflexgel.co.za.

But how is muscle pain related to posture?

I’m no doctor (but I am a certified first-aider – LOL) so I’m not able to medically advise on what you should or shouldn’t be doing to avoid bad posture, but I’ve done enough research to give you an accurate heads-up on the negative effects that bad posture can have on your health.

It’s more like a look of laziness when you’re caught slouching, in a photo.

Did you know that bad posture can cause headaches?

According to the medical research foundation, Mayo Clinic, bad posture is one of the primary lifestyle factors that can trigger headaches, and most commonly, back and neck pain.

What is bad posture?

Have you ever seen someone standing with their head so far forward that it could touch their chest? There’s usually a hunch-like curve to their spine, which is especially noticeable when sitting at a desk, staring at a laptop.

This is what bad posture looks like:

What are the negative effects of bad posture?

Back and neck pain

Poor posture can actually cause changes to your spine over time and result in severe muscular pain.

The reason that you would experience pain with bad posture is that you’ve put a strain on muscles or ligaments. And the best way to quickly alleviate muscle pain associated with posture is to massage the affected area with a fast-acting, anti-inflammatory gel.

Fatigue:

How could a slouchy pose make you feel less energised when it looks so comfy? With incorrect posture, you actually exert more energy to maintain the strain placed on your muscles.

Headaches:

It’s hard to believe that the way you sit or stand can contribute to headaches but extra pressure to muscles and nearby nerves can cause what is known as muscle-spasm headaches.

Shoulder, jaw, and foot pain

A consistent imbalance in weight from your upper body can put pressure on your ankles, which could lead to swelling, inflammation, and heel pain.

Micro story:

One day, during lunch at high school, my friends and I were laughing at jokes being told but as we all laughed, one of our friends’ jaw locked – it was incredibly funny (for us as teenagers) until we realised that she was in pain. She was experiencing a muscle-spasm, and incidentally also had developed bad posture from carry heavy books in her backpack every day. Overworking your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can happen due to bad posture, which is not only embarrassing but quite painful.

Breathing problems

This – well, all of it – are serious health concerns, but your body needs oxygen to survive so to avoid shallow breathing and reducing lung capacity by compressing your diaphragm, perform regular muscle relaxing exercises to align and maintain good posture.

How to improve bad posture:

1. Work on straightening your posture as much as possible by sitting, standing, and lying correctly in bed.
2. Do you meditate, hun? With consistency, a few focused, deep breaths can help to align posture, and chakras too.
3. You could also try using a back brace. I’ve been occasionally using one for the past year. It’s not as discreet as I’d hoped but really helps to straighten my back so I usually wear it around the house.

If you don’t have the time to head to a chiropractor or masseuse, applying a soothing, tension-releasing gel to your gym bag after an intense workout, or after a hot shower before bed, will help you on your way to a comfortable life.

Win an ERGONOMIC DESK STAND valued at over R1 200!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED – CONGRATULATIONS TO JUSTIN MINAAR

Simply list three symptoms of bad posture, in the comment section below!

It’s that easy! Good luck <3

Terms and Conditions of Giveaway:

*Entries open to South Africans only.

One winner will be notified via email and announced in this post on 22 March 2019.

Only comments on this blog post will be accepted.

The prize – one Ergonomic DeskStand can only be redeemed by the original winner unless an alternative has been arranged.

This prize excludes any products not mentioned in this blog post.