How To Improve Posture For Seniors

By Jessica Jensen | January 8, 2022

“Stand up straight” (or “right”) is a phrase we all grew up with. But as adults, we are the ones responsible for remembering the importance of good posture. According to some studies, proper body alignment helps prevent pain, avoid injury, and even improve our mood.

 

How to start

Improving posture is an excellent purpose for this January. But for many of us, the first hurdle is that we don’t know what the correct posture is, or how to adopt it. To find out, take the “wall test”:

• Stand so that the back of your head, shoulder blades, and buttocks touch the wall, and your heels are 2 to 4 inches from the wall.
• Put your hand, palm flat, behind the small of your back. There should be just enough space to slide your hand between your lower back and the wall. This is the correct posture; in it, the curve of the lower back is adequate.
• If there is too much space behind your lower back, try retracting your belly button toward your spine.
• If there is very little room, arch your back until you can slide your hand behind your bottom.
• Once you get the proper posture, walk away from the wall. Then, go back to it, and verify that you have maintained a correct stance.

 

Exercises

These simple exercises will help you realign your body. When performing these, focus on the mobility of the spine and your breathing. You can practice them while you are sitting or lying in bed:

When walking, stand up straight. Inhale, roll your shoulders up and back, exhale and roll your shoulders down.

Pelvic inclinations in a sitting position, Sit on the edge of a chair, place your hands on your thighs, and put your feet on the floor. Inhale and rock your pelvis and ribs forward as you open your chest and lookup. Exhale, tilt your pelvis and spine back and look down at the floor.

The bridge pose. Before going to sleep, and upon waking up, do this pose. Lie on your back on the bed with your knees bent and your feet flat on the mattress. Inhale, then exhale slowly and tilt your tailbone to lift your buttocks and spine, one vertebra at a time, until your shoulder blades support your weight.

Proper body alignment can help prevent overexertion on the joints, muscles, and spine, relieving pain, and reducing the likelihood of injury. As a bonus, the correct posture can boost your productivity and mood and help you use your muscles more efficiently. Improving your posture will probably take some time and conscious effort, but the feel-good benefits are worth it.

 

Other tips

• Maintaining good posture requires willpower and conscious effort. But the benefits are worth it.
• The benefits of good posture range from improved mood to more efficient use of muscles.
• On the other hand, poor posture can cause headaches, jaw, hip, back, and neck pain. It can also reduce your breathing capacity (since the rib cage is compressed), decreasing lung capacity, generating fatigue and lack of energy, affecting your productivity.
• Select a firm mattress. If necessary, place a board under your bed.
• Try using a back support (lumbar support) at night to feel more comfortable. A rolled-up sheet or towel tied around your waist can help.
• To get up from lying down, roll to the side, raise both knees, and move your legs to the bed’s side. Sit, pushing yourself with your hands.

The above tips are generally beneficial. But if any of these postures or tactics cause increased pain, discomfort, or pain spreading, discontinue the activity and seek a physician’s advice.