Posture Mistakes That Make You Look Older

It can decide whether your first impression will be positive or negative. This is why it’s important that you pay attention to it. Unfortunately, many people neglect their posture, and it gets worse over time. With that in mind, here are some posture mistakes you might be making, and how to fix them.

Hunching over your computer

Hunching over the computer or phone is something we all do from time to time, but doing it too much can age you very quickly. This usually happens due to weak chest muscles and upper back muscles, and it can also lead to back pain, and so-called “knots” in your upper back. In time, it results in a rounded back, and it can make you look years older. To combat this, work on strengthening your back muscles, and make sure the chair you use while working is ergonomically correct. Also, move around as much as you can, as sitting down for too long is never healthy.

Leaning with your chin

Many of us like to lean on our hand with our chin while watching something on the computer. Besides making you hunch your back, this position also forces your neck to extend, which compresses the joints in your neck, and causes fatigue in the muscles. Consequently, this can lead to pain, headaches, and inflammation. To prevent this from happening, make sure your computer screen is not too high or too far from your chair. You should be able to keep your neck in a neutral, relaxed position when sitting and looking at the screen.

Slouching while standing or walking

When you do this, you’re pretty much sitting into your hips, which makes your head and neck move forward, and puts a lot of stress on your neck. It makes you look old, and it makes your core muscles weaker. Moreover, it can lead to neck pain, and eventually, even serious damage. In more extreme cases, you might need to visit a professional neurosurgeon like Dr Timothy Steel, who can help you regain your health. To prevent this from becoming a serious problem, you should work on strengthening your upper back, chest muscles, and core.

Slouching in your chair

This is one of the quickest ways to make yourself look older than you are. You might think you look cool by sitting like this, but you’re actually putting a lot of strain on your back muscles, which can cause soreness. Moreover, leaning forward on the chair can eventually lead to disc problems, and you have to agree that looking cool is not worth getting a herniated disc for. The way to prevent this problem is to simply not do it. If you’re doing it because your chair is too low or too high, change your chair. Your feet should always be on the ground, and your hips and knees should be at a 90-degree angle. Finally, if your job requires you to spend a lot of time sitting, and this makes you slouch, take frequent breaks, so you can stretch your legs a bit.

Other ways to fix your posture

Besides taking breaks from sitting and adjusting your furniture, there are also some exercises you can do in your free time that can help you improve your posture. You can do them in the morning, or you can do them during your work breaks. Moreover, yoga is also a great choice for improving your posture, especially if you’re looking for a way to de-stress as well. There are more than a few benefits of yoga, and it doesn’t require too much of your time either. Finally, it’s also important that you eat healthy. For example, vitamins B and D are essential for strong bones. So, if you’d like to improve your bone strength, make sure your diet includes plenty of vitamins.

Your posture is more important than you might think, as it can affect your self-confidence, as well as your mood. Some studies have shown that bad posture can even lead to depression and anxiety. So, pay attention to your posture, and don’t let yourself look older than you are for no reason.