Posture Tips for a Healthier Happier Holiday Season!!

Posture is at the root of many of our daily activities. From the way we drive our cars, standing in the kitchen for marathon cookie baking, or lounging on the couch all day watching holiday movies, the positions you put your body in will directly effect how you will feel when you are done with any given activity.

So, as you approach the final push of holiday preparation, here are a few help tips to keep your body more upright and pain free. 

1. Lots of Cooking!!!
  a. The key to this one is lots of mini breaks: Roll your shoulders and look up to stretch your head after long periods of looking down. You can even keep a tennis ball in the kitchen to roll your shoulders against the wall for a quick mini massage.
  b. Avoid overreaching as that often causes stress to your ribs, shoulders, and neck muscles. Make sure to have a step stool handy before you start cooking for easy accessibility.

2. Long Car Rides…..
  a. Travel often accompanies holiday festivities and sitting in the car for a long time can leave almost anyone feeling stiff and achy. How long that stiffness lingers is often a result of the position you are in. The more twisted up you are in the way you’re sitting the more stress you inevitably put on your body. It’s best to sit upright with your feet mirroring each other, especially if you’re driving. Sitting with one leg bent and one leg straight tilts the pelvis and puts increased stress through the lower back. It can even increase the tension in the muscles between your shoulder blades. Be sure to stretch or walk around when you take breaks. If you have little ones a short game of tag can do wonders to loosen up the body and burn up energy for little ones on the long drives.

3. Couch Sleeping:  
  a. Nothing beats dozing off on a cozy couch while watching your favorite movie. Yet, the position you are in will determine whether or not you wake up with the dreaded “crick” in your neck. This is largely due to the tilt of your head in relationship to your body. If your head is bent at an angle when you fall asleep, chances are your will wake up with neck pain and poor mobility. It’s best to make sure your head is on a supported pillow, and not the arm of the couch, when you’re getting set up for your movie. The straighter your spine when you fall asleep, the more refreshed you will feel when you get going again.

Hopefully these tips will help keep your posture strong and body happy through the holidays. If it doesn’t…we are closed the week of Christmas but can get you back in action on December 30th! 😉 Cheers!! 

Wishing you the Happiest of Holidays!!

Dr. Alaina