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You there! Quit slouching or else ... COLUMBIA,
S.C.-Turns out grandma had a point when she nagged you about standing up
straight. Poor posture
is a bad habit that can start during the teen years, but its effects can haunt
you throughout your life in the form of chronic pain in the back, neck,
shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. That's why
it's crucial to ditch the slouching while you're young. "You're
better off starting with good posture," said Dr. Mark Locke, a
pediatric orthopedist with Moore Orthopedic Clinic in Columbia, adding that bad posture
can cause bone deformities during the crucial years between ages 10 and 20.
"Any changes for the positive you can make during your younger years can
help you in the long term." Karolyn
McKnight, a physical therapist at Columbia's Providence Hospital, says it's easy
to fall into the bad-posture trap because most people don't think about
it until they're in pain. "Pain is
always the big factor," she said. "Once things start hurting, it's a
little bit too late." But it's never
too late to learn how to improve your posture to alleviate pain and
prevent new aches from forming. Our daily
activities are the main culprit in poor body alignment. Everything from sitting
a desk all day long to lugging a heavy backpack around school can throw off your
posture. Here are some
of McKnight's tips for keeping your body on the straight and narrow: -If you spend
a lot of time sitting, change position every 20 or 30 minutes. Standing up and
stretching is also a good idea. When you get stuck in one position for an
extended period, you stress joints and ligaments. By moving around, you'll
lessen some of that stress. -Also, sit
with your hips all the way back in the chair and use lumbar support if it's
available. Make sure the body's curves at the neck, upper and lower back are
supported at all times because if you slouch, they'll go out of alignment. -Toting a
heavy bookbag? Limit the number of items you're carrying and keep the load
evenly distributed-in other words, don't hang your backpack off one shoulder.
This also goes for grocery shopping. Carry an even number of bags in each hand
to prevent stressing one side more than the other. -If you stand
for long periods, shift your weight, sit when you can and be sure to stand up
straight. Gravity makes your shoulders and head bend forward, so make an effort
to think about holding your stomach in and shoulders back. -When lifting,
squat and don't bend from the waist. -Do
strength-training exercises to keep your muscles strong and flexible. (c) 2002, The
State (Columbia, S.C.). |