Have you ever had back pain that lasted for days? Have you ever had to skip a run because your tendons hurt? Perhaps it’s because of poor posture. And this problem is not that uncommon.

Walking, running and jumping, although they look natural, are not easy for our bodies. Each movement is achieved through the delicate collaboration of several muscle chains, like an orchestra playing a symphony. But even the best orchestra can pick up a false note. In the human body, this happens when one or more of the muscles involved in movement are tight and compressed, causing all the other muscles to work just as poorly. This problem is widespread, but it is very easy to solve.

Posture exercises

Think about the position your body is in most of the time. This is the first step in correcting your posture.

Posture exercises consist of trying to keep a proper posture at all times, i.e. keep your back in proper position in relation to other parts of your body in all major situations throughout the day.

How do you do this at work?

Static body posture for eight hours a day in the office is one of the most common causes of back pain. If this has happened to you as well, here’s what to do:

• Distribute your body weight as much as possible on the armrests and back of your chair to reduce the strain on the lumbosacral area;
• Change your posture every 30-45 minutes, get up and walk around to relax the lumbosacral area;
• When sitting, avoid unnatural torso rotation. In such cases, it is better to use a swivel chair.

How do I behave in a car or on a motorcycle?

In a car, you’re not just sitting in one place – your spine is also exposed to a lot of vibrations as you ride. Not only do motorcyclists have much more vibrations, but their body posture is even more unnatural – they often lean forward very much. So what to do?

Advice is this – do not put the spine too long strain: if you have a long ride, plan a few stops to give your back a rest.

And on foot?

Do you often carry a bag or backpack? In this case, even the most natural body position – standing – will not protect you from bad posture. To stay healthy, you need to watch how you distribute the load. Always wear a backpack on both shoulders, and carry the bag alternately on the right and left shoulder, changing shoulders regularly.

One last piece of advice that especially applies to training: do not neglect stretching and balancing exercises. Stretching keeps our muscles and tendons flexible and elastic, which further protects you from the consequences of bad posture.