Low back pain: How to fix your posture and straighten your spine

Holistic health expert Dr Mickey Mehta on improving your spinal health with easy exercises

The right posture is one where your stomach is stretched, which stimulates your organs and helps oxygen-rich blood enter your organs, nourishing and rejuvenating them. (File Photo)

How many times have you found yourself working on your laptop half lying on the bed, slouching over it while sitting cross-legged or just twisting yourself around it? Or wondered why that low back pain is persistent? If it’s all of the above, you are doing great disservice to your spine, which is anatomically fundamental to human posture. It is because of it that we can stand straight, sit, walk and run.

When people adopt bad postures from an early age, they may find them comfortable and adapt to them. But what they don’t realise is that they can pile up tension not only in the spine but affect their pelvis, muscles, tendons, joints, bones and discs, which can result in weariness and deformation. And all you need to do is correct your posture.

WHAT IS A GOOD POSTURE?

The right posture is one where your stomach is stretched, which stimulates your organs and helps oxygen-rich blood enter your organs, nourishing and rejuvenating them. A good posture is anti-ageing in nature because it allows blood circulation and elasticity of the back to remain intact or rather get better. It improves your brain functioning, alertness and helps you pay attention to your stability for balance as well. Hence, it also helps improve focus and concentration.

HOW TO FIX YOUR POSTURE?

Recognizing your posture and gait throughout the day is the first step. Are you hunching forward or slouching? Improving posture requires strengthening the muscles that support the spine. Bad posture can be exacerbated by tense muscles. Therefore, include stretches to improve your flexibility and relieve any stress in your muscles that might be misaligning your spine. Stretching should be concentrated on the hamstrings, hip flexors, shoulders and the chest.

When you stand, split your weight equally between your feet. To stretch your spine, contract your core muscles and visualise a thread tugging the crown of your head towards the ceiling. Refrain from tucking your pelvis under and locking your knees.

As you strive to correct your posture, pay attention to any pain or discomfort that may surface. For more assessment and direction, speak with a healthcare provider if you have ongoing pain or have trouble performing specific activities.

WHAT ABOUT EXERCISES?

1) Stimulate the spine with side bends, gentle twisting, forward-backwards bending using gravity and static exercises.
2) Stretch your hands upwards while balancing yourself on toes, lengthening your spine.
3) Go on all fours, moving the spine in a convex and concave position.
4) From plank arching the spine while looking upwards to sucking your belly in and moving up your hips, posture correction is relatively an easy exercise.
5) Lie down on your back. Fold your knees, raise your hips and balance your shoulders.
6) Simply sit on a sofa without clinging to the backrest, spine erect, for a long duration.
7) The best exercises for strengthening your posture are superman-like reverse boat position.

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Remember poor posture is the reason for back or neck pain, headaches, trouble breathing or walking. And with a few corrective steps, you can get rid of daily niggles.