Health ED
Perfect Your Posture: A Guide to Standing Tall
When sitting at a desk:
• Feet flat on the ground
• Knees at a 90-degree angle
• Computer screen at eye level
Stand with your back against a wall:
• Feet shoulder-width apart
• Press lower back into the wall
• Raise arms up and down while in contact with the wall
While sitting or standing:
• Pull the chin and head straight back until a stretch is felt on the base of head and top of the neck and then bringing it forward.
• Every 30 minutes, take a short break to walk or stretch.
Home Stretch: Essential Exercises At Home
• Tilt your head towards one shoulder until a stretch is felt on the opposite side of your neck.
• Hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
• Sit or stand with your arms at your sides, squeeze your shoulder blades together as if trying to hold a pencil between them.
• Hold for 5-10 seconds.
• Sit on the floor with one leg extended and the other bent. Reach towards the toes of your extended leg until you feel a stretch along the back of your thigh.
• Hold for 15-30 seconds and switch legs.
• Step one foot forward into a lunge position, keeping the other leg straight behind you, then gently lower your hips until you feel a stretch in the front of your back leg’s hip.
• Hold and switch sides.
• Extend one arm in front of you with the palm facing down, then gently pull the fingers back with the other hand.
• Hold to stretch the forearm and switch arms.
Quick Tip: Maximizing Your Session with a Physiotherapist
• Describe the location, type (sharp, dull, throbbing), and what triggers or alleviates it.
• Disclose any relevant previous injuries, surgeries, or conditions that might affect your treatment plan.
• Communicate what you hope to achieve through therapy, whether it’s pain relief, improving mobility, or returning to a specific activity.
On-the-Go: Mini Exercises for Busy Lifestyles
• Stand in front of a chair and squat down until your buttocks lightly touch the seat, then stand back up.
• Aim for 10-15 repetitions.
• While sitting, extend one leg at a time and hold it in the air for 5 seconds, then lower it slowly.
• Repeat with each leg 10 times.
• Relieve tension by gently rolling your shoulders forwards and backwards, then stretching your neck by tilting your head from side to side and forward and back.
• Spend a few seconds in each position.
• While seated, extend one leg out in front of you. Rotate your foot to draw circles in the air with your toes.
• Make 10 circles in one direction, then switch to 10 circles in the opposite direction.
• Repeat with the other leg.
