Common posture mistakes and fixes

From sticking your bottom out to crossing your legs, find out how everyday standing and
sitting habits can cause back pain and other ailments.
Physiotherapist and back pain expert Nick Sinfield describes 10 common posture mistakes and how to
correct them with strength and stretching exercises.
Correcting your posture may feel awkward at first because your body has grown so used to sitting
and standing incorrectly," says Nick.
You need to retrain your body to sit and stand correctly. Initially, this may require a bit of conscious
effort and some strengthening and flexibility exercises to correct muscle imbalances.
But with a bit of practise, good posture will become second nature and protect your back in the long
term.

Sticking your bottom out


If your bottom tends to stick out or you have a pronounced curve in your lower back, you may have
hyperlordosis, which is an exaggerated inward curve in the lower back creating a Donald Duck
posture. This is often caused by tightness in your lower back and hip flexors and weakness in your
core muscles, hamstrings and buttocks.
These muscle imbalances tilt your pelvis forward and can cause lower back stiffness and pain.
Wearing high heels, excessive weight around the stomach and pregnancy can all cause this posture.
Core and buttock strengthening exercises and hip flexor and thigh stretches are recommended to help
correct a sticking out bottom.
Exercises to correct a Donald Duck posture:
Plank
Side-lying leg raises
Hip flexor stretches
Standing thigh stretch
Good standing posture:
To help you maintain a correct standing posture, imagine a string attached to the top of your head
pulling you upwards. The idea is to keep your body in perfect alignment, maintaining the spine's
natural curvature, neck straight and shoulders parallel with the hips.
Keep your shoulders back and relaxed
Pull in your abdomen
Keep your feet about hip distance apart
Balance your weight evenly on both feet
Try not to tilt your head forward, backward or sideways
Keep your legs straight but knees relaxed

Standing with a flat back


A flat back means your pelvis is tucked in and your lower back is straight instead of naturally curved,
causing you to stoop forward. People with a flat back often find it difficult standing for long periods and
can experience pain in their lower half of their back.
This posture is often caused by muscle imbalances which encourage you to adopt such a position.
Spending long periods sitting down can be caused by as well as contribute to a flat back. A flat back
may be a sign of tightness in your core and hamstrings, and weakness in your quadriceps, lower back
and buttocks. A flat back also tends to make you lean your neck and head forwards, which can cause
neck and upper back strain and pain.
Exercises to strengthen your core, buttocks, neck and rear shoulder muscles and back extensions are
recommended to help correct a flat back.
Exercises to correct a flat back:
Plank
Side-lying leg raises
Chest stretches
Seated rows in a gym (or pull-ups)
Back extensions

Leaning on one leg


Leaning more on one leg while standing, sometimes referred to as hanging on one hip, can feel
comfortable, especially if youve been standing for a while, but it's often the result of weakness in
some muscles. Instead of using your buttocks and core muscles to keep you upright, you place
excessive pressure on one side of your lower back and hip.
Over time, you may develop muscle imbalances around the pelvis area which can cause muscular
strain and pain in the low back and buttocks. Other causes of uneven hips include carrying heavy
backpacks on one shoulder and mums carrying toddlers on one hip.
To improve this posture, try to get into the habit of standing with your weight evenly distributed on both
legs. Exercises to strengthen your buttocks and core muscles will help correct uneven hips.
Exercises to correct uneven hips:
Plank
Side-lying leg raise
Bridging

Hunched back and text neck


If you spend several hours a day working on a computer, you may unconsciously find yourself
adopting poor postural habits such as hunching over your keyboard. This position is usually a sign that
you have a tight chest and a weak upper back. Over time, this type of posture can contribute to you
developing a rounded upper back, a condition called kyphosis, which can cause shoulder and upper
back stiffness and pain.
When hunching over a computer, your head may tend to lean forward, which can cause stiffness and
pain in the neck. Mobile device usage can also encourage you to hang your head and can cause
similar problems dubbed text neck.
Upper back, neck and rear shoulder strengthening exercises, chest stretches and neck posture drills
are recommended to help correct a hunched back.

Exercises to correct a hunched back:
Gently lengthen your neck upwards as you tuck in your chin
Seated rows
Chest stretches

Poking your chin


Many people poke their chin forward to look up at a computer screen or TV when sitting without
realising it. The poking chin posture is often caused by sitting too low, a screen set too high, a
hunched back or combinations of all three. An unsupported lower back or a hunched upper back both
encourage the neck to lean and tip the head downward. To compensate for this downward pressure,
we lift the chin to look forward without straightening the back.
A poking chin posture can lead to muscle weakness around the neck, compressing the neck joints,
which over time can lead to stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulders and upper back and cause
headaches.
Correcting a poking chin involves improving your sitting habits and exercises to correct your posture.
How to correct a poking chin:
Gently lengthen your neck upwards as you tuck in your chin
Bring your shoulder blades back towards your spine
Pull in your lower tummy muscles to maintain a natural curve in your lower back
Adjust your seating

Rounded shoulders


One way to tell if youve got rounded shoulders is to stand in front of a mirror and let your arms hang
naturally by your sides. If your knuckles face forward, it may indicate that you have a tight chest and a
weak upper back, giving the appearance of rounded shoulders, also called upper cross syndrome.
Rounded shoulders are typically caused by poor posture habits, muscle imbalances and an uneven
exercise regimen, such as too much focus on chest strength and neglecting the upper back. Over
time, these muscle imbalances will result in poor positioning of your shoulders, which can lead
to shoulder and neck stiffness and pain.
Exercises to strengthen your core, upper back and chest muscles will help correct rounded shoulders.
Exercises to correct rounded shoulders:
Plank
Bridging
Seated rows in a gym (or pull-ups)
Chest stretches

Sitting cross legged



Its instinctive and feels natural but sitting with your legs crossed puts pressure on your lower back. In
this position, your hip tucks in, making it difficult to sit up straight, causing you to slouch. Over time you
may develop muscle imbalances in your hips which can cause stiffness and pain in the hips and low
back. Habits of a lifetime are hard to shake but for your backs sake, uncross those legs and sit up
straight! It might feel awkward at first but over time it will become second nature and your back will
thank you for it.
How to sit correctly:
Gently lengthen your neck upwards as you tuck in your chin
Pull in your lower tummy muscles to maintain a natural curve in your lower back
Bring your shoulder blades back towards your spine
Adjust your seating

Cradling your phone


Holding your phone handset between your ear and shoulder places undue stress on the muscles of
the neck, upper back and shoulder. If you always cradle the phone on the same side, it may shorten,
compress and weaken the neck muscles on one side while stretching the muscles on the opposite
side.
The neck and shoulders are not designed to hold this position for any length of time. This posture
places strain on the muscles and other soft tissues leading to muscle imbalances between the left and
right side of your neck, which can cause headaches and stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulders and
arms. Try to get into the habit of holding the phone with your hand or use a hands free device.
Exercises for neck stiffness and pain:
Chest stretches
Neck stretches: gently lower your left ear towards your left shoulder. Hold for 10 to 15 deep
breaths. Repeat on opposite side.
Neck rotations: slowly turn your chin towards one shoulder. Hold for 10 to 15 deep breaths.
Repeat on opposite side.

Slouching in a chair

Sitting slumped without any lower back support, may feel more comfortable than sitting upright
because it requires less effort from our muscles but it places a lot of pressure on your lower back. The
reason you may slouch in the first place could be because you already have weak core muscles.
In this posture, your pelvis is tucked in, instead of being level, leaving your lower back to support the
weight of your upper body. The muscles that should be propping you up are dormant, putting strain on
your ligaments, joints and other soft tissue structures of the lower back. In this position, your upper
back will also have a tendency to hunch, creating its own problems (described in the hunched back
section above).
Get into the habit of sitting correctly. It may not feel comfortable initially because your muscles have
not been conditioned to support you in the correct position. Exercises to strengthen your core and
buttock muscles and back extensions will help correct a slouching posture.
Exercises to correct a slumping posture:
Bridging
Back extensions
Plank
Adjust your seating

Poshitis or heavy bag syndrome


Poshitis is the term coined for pain caused by the trend of carrying heavy handbags on a bent
forearm as seen on fashionistas such as Victoria Beckham. Whether its handbags, backpacks, school
bags or shopping bags, the way you carry your bag can wreak havoc on your posture and cause
injury. Try this test: look in front of a mirror: are your shoulders level or tilting? If they tilt to one side,
could this be due to always carrying a heavy load on the same shoulder?
The best bags are empty ones. Carrying heavy bags improperly can stretch supporting muscles and
ligaments, which can affect the back and shoulder alignment which in turn can cause posture-related
stiffness and pain. Children are especially vulnerable to injury from carrying heavy bags, such as
school bags, as their spines are still developing.
How to carry bags correctly:
Use two straps to distribute the weight around your back evenly
If using one strap, try periodically swapping sides
Place heavier objects on the bottom of the bag
Avoid overloading schoolbags