As you get older, muscles tighten and the joints’ range of motion decreases, affecting your lifestyle even to the point of preventing you from performing your daily activities and normal movements.  It is possible that what used to be very easy to do becomes a real challenge after a certain age.

There are numerous ways to achieve a better quality of life as you age; some of them are:

-    Increase your flexibility and range of motion
-    Strengthen weak muscles
-    Perform special exercises designed to improve bad posture

All of the above can be enhanced with regular stretching routines.  Stretching will help you lengthen muscles and tendons, which allows you to have a better range of motion, which means your extremities and joints are able to move further before an injury happens.  It doesn’t matter how old you are, stretching will improve your daily life by making every activity easier to handle.

There is no excuse here; everyone can learn to stretch appropriately, despite age, gender, or level of flexibility.  To do it right, stretch until you feel the muscle is pulling a little, without feeling any pain.  Hold the stretch for several seconds and the muscle will relax.  As you start feeling less rigidity in the muscles and joints, increase the stretch range until you feel the soft pulling again.  Hold it until you feel the tightness is gone, but never, ever, bounce while you stretch; you can cause serious muscle damage.

Younger people can stretch to prevent injuries; it helps muscles and joints recover faster and decreases soreness after rigorous exercise.  Stretching will ensure muscles and tendons are in good working condition so that they can handle severe sports and exercise effectively.  The more one stretches the less danger one has of getting serious muscle and tendon injuries.

Once you get into a regular stretching routine, you will experience lots of benefits; among the most important are:

-    Less muscle rigidity
-    More energy, due to better circulation
-    Injury prevention
-    Better movement range in joints
-    Better muscular coordination
-    Better blood circulation throughout the body

In order to stretch appropriately and get the best out of the routine, have a professional design one for you, based on his or her knowledge of the body and its functioning, and, of course, on your specific needs.

If you are not crazy about exercising or stretching, look for ways to improve your posture, since it has a direct influence in your general wellbeing.  Look for appropriate seat support to help you learn good sitting and standing posture habits.  When you sit and stand correctly, your muscles and joints rest, they are not stressed and overworked, and you achieve a normal stretching of your muscles, tendons, and internal organs, enhancing circulation and the passing of air through the body.

However, try stretching.  It is a great way to relax and to keep your body mechanics balanced.  If for anything, try it because it will certainly make you feel great.

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As incredible as it may seem, the computer at home is guilty for many of the injuries you or your loved ones may suffer there.  One would think poisoning by chemicals, falls, cuts, eye injuries, and even fatalities, are more common, however, even though these things happen, the most common cause of injury is related to using the computer too much.  If this is not a big enough surprise, the cost and damaging nature of this type of injuries may astound you.  They can literally ruin a person’s life and finances.

Injuries by computer use range from cumulative trauma disorders, to repetitive motion injuries, to musculoskeletal disorders.  They develop slowly inside the person no matter the age, race, gender, or condition.  What truly matters is what people do at home.

With this said, it is clear how good ergonomics is crucial in every home.  Its practice will vary depending on the person, if it is a child or an adult, a young person or a grandpa; nevertheless, there are several tips that will work for everyone, no matter the case:

1.    Posture
Good ergonomics is all about posture.  No matter the activity, you should always think about the proper way to sit, stand, or walk, and always remember to make adjustments to avoid weird and damaging postures like slouching, reaching, bending, or twisting.

2.    Proper seat support is fundamental
Always ensure your back is well supported when working at the computer.  Get a good ergonomic chair and train yourself to be aware of your posture while sitting.

3.    Think of laptops as the big ergonomic enemy
In order to avoid unhealthy postures, the keyboard and the monitor must be separated.  Try to have a desktop computer at home besides the laptop you go to work with.

4.    Be the boss
You should have the last word at home as to how long your kids can play videogames and watch TV.  Teach them to take breaks every half hour, force them if necessary, and do the same for yourself.

5.    Learn to adjust your equipment
This is even more important if several people use the same workstation and computer.  In this case, it is better if you purchase footrests, an adjustable chair, and keyboard trays, so that everything is a fit for everyone.

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Posture can directly affect the quality of your life.  Good posture will make you feel and look younger, stronger and more confident, while at the same time it improves your performance in every area of life, your breathing, your movement capabilities, and reduces the risk of injuries.  It will surely help you get older without suffering from the dreaded pain in your joints!

But, how do you know if you have to improve your posture?  What are the alert signs?  Following is a very concise and clear list of the main posture alert conditions. If you happen to catch yourself in one of these posture sins, start working to correct it immediately:

-    Rounded back
-    One side of the body rotated forward or back
-    Head overhanging forward
-    Collapsed feet arches
-    Pelvis and hips twisted to the front, back or side
-    Limp chest and shoulders
-    Elevated hip or shoulder

All of the above mean that your body has fallen into a poor movement pattern due to diverse reasons, maybe muscle imbalance, injury, ergonomic issues or bad alignment while exercising.

However, the secret to correcting poor posture is easy:  you have to know it is there.  Once you know it, it’s easy to develop healthy posture habits that will help you strengthen your structure’s foundation in order to acquire good posture and a body that functions effectively.  Here are some tips for improvement:

1.    Find your body’s neutral alignment.  In this position, your spine can effortlessly deal with stress and strain.  Neutral alignment can be set while standing, sitting and moving.

2.    Keep moving.  After sitting for a period of time, you must stand up or lie down, and move around for a while in order to soften your muscles and joints.

3.    Work out your hip muscles.  If these are weak or inflexible, it may cause pelvis and lower back alignment problems.  Look for exercises that flex, extend, abduct and rotate your hips.

4.    Strengthen your abdomen.  Work out your abdominals to hold your pelvis in neutral alignment.  Do stabilizing training, in order to power your core abdomen muscles.

5.    Extend your back.  Learn back extension exercises to strengthen your spine, keep it aligned, and avoid back pain.

6.    Exercise your upper body.  Train to encourage the natural coordination and rhythm of the shoulder and shoulder girdle, as well as to strengthen the scapular and arm muscles.

7.    Do Yoga and Pilates.  These disciplines encourage and center on alignment and on the controlled movement of the spine, reinforcing good posture all the way.

8.    Visualize good posture.  Think of beautiful erect and strong trees, and imagine yourself growing tall with your arms over your head.  Imagine yourself walking and sitting in perfect neutral alignment.

9.    Ask a doctor.  Poor posture can greatly affect your life and health, so it may be wise to see a doctor and ensure you are on the right path to acquiring perfect posture.

10.    Constantly remind yourself about your posture.  You have to be aware of your posture during the day in order to fix it if you fall into a bad position at some point.  Set an alarm clock for every hour or post-it on your desk or fridge.  You can also use an ergonomic seat to help you stay aligned while sitting.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.trucomfort.com as the original source.

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Stand in front of a full-length mirror and turn to your side, to reveal your profile.
Ideally, you should see your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles aligned.

If these four points do not form a straight or almost straight line, chances are you will develop lower back pain in the upcoming months or years. And you are not alone.

Springtime
The spine works as a spring, absorbing pressure and shocks as you walk or remain seated. However, when the spine bends beyond its ideal posture, this natural spring effect diminishes or works against its intended job.

For instance, some people have a tendency to lean the torso forward, causing strain in the neck. When your shoulders, hips and knees misalign, your face looks slightly downwards. Thus, to level the sight, you need to lift the nose, compressing the back of your neck. Meanwhile, to recover balance, your hips have to move backwards; conversely, if you keep your feet in the same place, the knees move to the front for the same reason. The result is a profile somewhat similar to an S shape.

In America, where people can hardly do without a car, more than half the population suffer from pain. Of these unfortunate souls, 25% reported pain in the back. Pain in the knees and headaches follow (12% and 9%, respectively). Male drivers aged between 30 and 49 have double the risk of back injuries and chronic pain. Why? Because they are getting older, yet remain active.

Since most of the time you remain seated, an ergonomic seat would suffice to prevent injuries and bad posture; but, unfortunately, most seats are poorly designed:

•    Most seats in cars, planes and long distance busses cause the reverse spring effect. Badly designed or badly positioned seats force torsos to lean backwards. If you do not have a back support yet, place the back of your seat as near to the plumb line as possible. An upright seat may not feel too comfortable at first, but it surely provides a healthier support.

•    Tall people often have to seat with their knees way higher than their hips, which is exactly the opposite of a good seating posture. Whenever possible, keep your knees below the level of the thighs. To do so, put something between the seat and your thighs or, better yet, set the seat higher.

However, more often than not, the problem lies with bad posture. Sometimes, an ergonomic design is not used in the right way:

•    Inexpert drivers face a common seat-related problem. As they release the clutch pedal with the left foot, they show a tendency to shift the center of mass to the other thigh. Just as your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles should ideally align together, the line connecting shoulders should remain as parallel to the hips as possible for an ergonomically correct posture. When these lines are not parallel, the vertebras in the spine suffer unnecessary compression.

Take the time to watch yourself in a full-length mirror. For your back’s sake, remember these tips on ergonomics and get yourself the proper car seat support.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.trucomfort.com as the original source.

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A very important part of looking good is achieved with good posture.  It is mandatory to reflect your confident personality. A person that does not stand tall, sit straight, and bows with perfection, will never look confident in front of others.  Despite not having great looks, if a person has good posture, he/she will go a long way in attracting others towards him/her.

If you are someone who has neglected your posture for quite some time but are willing to correct it, you will be happy to know that there are some exercises that will help you attain good posture again.  It may be a little painful and difficult for you to follow the rules in the beginning, but be patient; with some perseverance, you will gain your good posture back for good.

The correct posture is when you sit with your back straight, chest up and out and your belly completely tucked in.  You have to make sure you do not sit stiff, as it will put a lot of strain over muscles and bones, and that you are using the right chair with the correct seat support.  Aim at sitting without jerking your body and at standing up in the same way.

Here are some exercises that will make you aware of your posture constantly, so that you can work on correcting it once and for all:

-    Cervical retraction.  Sit straight up on a chair, make yourself comfortable, and ensure your feet touch the floor.  Next, relax a little and pull your chin straight in, not nodding your head.  Repeat around ten times and feel how different your cervical posture feels when you do it.

-    Shoulder blade squeeze.  Sit on a chair and put your hands on your thighs.  Take time to relax and then, slowly move your shoulders up and backwards, squeeze your shoulder blades   together.

-    Breastbone lift.  This is perfect to strengthen the lower trapezium muscles.  Sit comfortably and lift the breastbone a few inches higher, compress your shoulder blades down and together.

-    Abdominal pull-in.  This is the best way to tuck your belly, and it is a very easy exercise.  Pull your stomach in while inhaling, and then exhale gradually and relaxed.  Repeat several times while you count to five.

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Sadly, many people each day find themselves in a position of constant sitting or slouching while in their office chairs, at home on the computer, etc.  Constant sitting like this can wreak havoc on your back and be the genesis of health problems in the future.  These include a cramped neck, cramped or sore back, and overall discomfort throughout the body.  The body was never engineered for long term sitting in this way, and without the proper seat support, you could be damaging your back and possibly your spinal cord.

One of the best solutions for long term sitting is purchasing an ergonomic chair.  Ergonomic chairs are not that expensive and will put your body into a more natural and comfortable position.  Ergonomic chairs not only have the ability to align your spine, but also work to align internal organs as well.  Many people do not value the importance of maintaining an overall balance in the body. Having your internal system out of alignment can compromise your overall health, lead to depression, and affect proper bodily functioning.

Most chairs do not take the natural curvature of the lower back into proper consideration, and some can even be damaging.  Without proper lumbar support, the natural curve of your back is flattened over time, leading to poor posture and constant slouching.  Having proper lumbar support allows you to sit at a workstation for significantly longer periods of time, feeling less discomfort.  Most chairs today are not even designed with the correct adjustments to make the chair in any way optimal for your health.  A one size fits all standard does not apply in this case, and can lead to injury or chronic back problems.

Another thing to look at when purchasing an ergonomic chair is the chair’s armrests.  Where are the armrests located and does this fit my body type?  Armrests reduce arm strain and allow the shoulders to relax, which is vital for the repetitive nature of typing and deskwork.  The armrests should be positioned so that the elbows are in a comfortable and relaxed position.  Chairs that lack armrests are some of the leading contributors to problems such as wrist strain and carpel tunnel syndrome.

If you have not looked in to getting an ergonomic chair yet, you should look into it.  Ergonomic chairs can save you countless dollars in the long run, in terms of costs related to health and back problems.  They can also align your spine, balance your internal organs, and optimize your work potential.  If you are planning on working safe, while working smart, than you should start considering purchasing an ergonomic chair for yourself.  Being more comfortable enables you to be more efficient, therefore being more effective and healthier at the same time.

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