6 Unhealthy posture habits women in their 30s are surprisingly guilty of

Shelina Assomull

26 Jan 2018

updated the 29 January 2018 à 11:04

Are you guilty of any of these? If so, it’s time to straighten things up once and for all!

1/6
Looking down at your phone
Scientists have found that jawlines are becoming increasingly saggy as a result of looking down at our phones for so long. The condition, dubbed ‘tech neck’ by experts, is a result of gravity pulling at us while we’re looking down.

THE FIX - Ditch the phone! Just kidding… but setting time limits on your screen time is a good solution. If that doesn’t work for you, hold your phone at a higher level so your neck is not so strained.
2/6
Staring down at a laptop all day
In 2016, the number of women in Singapore working was at a high of 60.4%. With the majority of them working office jobs, the chances are you're staring down at a screen all day. This strains the back of your neck and forces you to hunch over your desk.

THE FIX - Your screen needs to be at the same level as your eyes. This will stop your neck having to lean in at all to get closer to your desktop. Invest in a laptop stand or if you want to improvise, stack some books under your laptop to make it eye level.
3/6
Lifting with your back
You might not be a tool man, but we are all constantly lifting things on a daily basis. Doing this with your primarily your back can seriously impact it in the future.

THE FIX - When picking things up, use your legs as your key support. If you find it hard to anchor yourself on your legs, get down in a squat before doing any lifting. You may look strange for a second, but you’ll earn booty-licious points as well as a better posture!
4/6
Carrying handbags
The average woman’s handbag weighs approximately close to 3KG when you take into account all the items we stuff inside. Having such a concentrated amount of weight on one side our bodies can seriously tilt our posture – after all, everyone has a preferred bag shoulder, right?

THE FIX - Try alternating your arms when carrying your bag. Although it may feel strange at first, you’ll adjust in no time, and might just find your shoulders thanking you for it.
5/6
Leaning
Everyone knows that sassy stand. You know, the one you do when you’re a bit fed up at the end of the day and your body hurts from standing. We often place all our weight on one side of our body as it temporarily relieves this pain. However this worsens our posture in that moment, and also in the long term.

THE FIX - Quit this poor posture habit! Unfortunately, there's no way around this other than to make a conscious effort not to do it. When you catch yourself leaning, immediately straighten up, even if it feels uncomfortable. You body will eventually get accustomed to its straight position and deal.
6/6
Sleeping on your side
Although curling up on your side can be a very comfortable and cute way to fall asleep, the long term posture effects of this sleep position are not so endearing. They can severely curve your spine, especially as you are in said position for so long.

THE FIX - Sleep on your back. It might feel a little awkward at first, but your back will feel much straighter in the morning - even after just one night of doing this. If this really doesn’t work for you, go old school with a bolster in between your knees to help support your spine.

Didn’t your mama ever tell you to sit up straight? Of course she did! And it worked… when you were young.

Fast forward a couple decades later, and here you are: a successful 30-something year old, who’s totally hunching over her computer!

And alas, poor posture habits are something we are all guilty of. Whether over a computer or something else, we often find ourselves seriously hunched over whatever we are occupied with.

Hunching your back can seriously impact your posture and overall appearance. Those who stand up straight, tend to look taller, slimmer and healthier. Aside from looking good, correcting your posture in your 30s (rather than later in your 50s) goes a long way in helping you avoid future health issues, such as slipped discs and even arthritis. Scary, huh?

Enough said, it’s time to straighten things up once and for all. Here’s a list of some of the things you are most likely doing that are messing with your posture, and how to fix them!

Shelina Assomull

Photos: Unsplash & Pixabay

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