STAND UP
STRAIGHT
It’s not just your parents and
grandparents telling you to do
so. The way in which you hold your
body when standing and sitting is
fundamental to every movement
your body makes. If your posture
isn’t optimal, it will cause stress on
your muscles as they work harder
to keep you balanced and upright.
Over time, with an incorrect posture,
muscles will become tight and
inflexible, which causes muscles
to lose the ability to deal with the
forces of gravity – hello slouching!
Poor posture has also been linked
to wear and tear on ligaments
and joints, scoliosis, tension
headaches and, simply, back pain.
Not sure what good
posture is? When looking side WORDS^ ELLIEGRIFFITHSPHOTOGRAPHY^GETTYIMAGESon, you should be able to draw
a straight line directly down
your body from just in front
of your shoulder, through your
hips, the front of your knee and
just in front of your ankle. This
posture allows movement with
the least amount of muscle
strain. Need help?• (^) Make sure computers and
mobile devices are viewed at
eye height, to prevent your
neck from tilting downwards
and your back slouching.
• (^) Sleep on your side with
your neck supported and
a pillow between your legs.
• (^) Get active! Movement
encourages your muscles and
joints to keep active, ensuring
they don’t lock into position.
- If you’re still worried
about your posture talk to
a physiotherapist. ■
4
STOP
STRESSING
The new year is here, and by
now you’re back into a routine,
but are you feeling stress kicking
in already? Learn to get on top
of your stress before it’s too late.
Stress is a physical response
you experience when you are
challenged or overwhelmed.
Chronic stress can have damaging
effects on your body. It can cause
your blood pressure to rise, and
hypertension, increasing your
chances of a heart attack or
stroke. It disturbs your body’s
natural rhythmic contractions
(your body’s ability to move
food to your gut), increasing
the chances of irritable bowel
syndrome and heartburn.
Other changes that occur
include infections, a slower
healing rate, acne, hair loss,
headaches, sexual dysfunction,
difficulty concentrating,
irritability and fatigue.
By learning to respond to
stress in a calmer manner, you
can decrease the chances of
damage to organs and cells.5
good advice