09 Jul Your Child’s Posture
Having a good posture promotes better breathing, which results in more oxygen and more nutrients reaching the brain. This in turn will improve your child’s concentration, thinking patterns, thoughts and ideas, which greatly impacts their learning and studying abilities.
Living in the digital age, as great as it may be for many conveniences, does expose our kids to more risks factors that may worsen their posture. The time spent using computers, laptops, tablets, phones or gaming consoles can lead to bad posture habits. Thus, it is important for us as parents to educate our children about good posture and the long-term health benefits of maintaining a good posture.
Bad posture can result in your child:
- Having stiff joints
- Experiencing discomfort and soreness in the back.
- Experiencing tension headaches.
- Getting fatigued easily.
- Having functional scoliosis
- Having trouble breathing
- Being more susceptible to injuries.
Observe your child for the following signs of bad posture:
- Rounder shoulders when standing or sitting.
- Their head is held forward.
- The curve of the lower back is more pronounced than it should be.
- The upper back is hunched.
- Your child is sitting on the edge of their chair.
- Resting their head in their palms or on their arms when writing/studying.
- Being unable to sit up straight.
- Unable to draw a full deep breath.
A straight back does not mean good posture. Having a good posture means that your postural muscles are well balanced and functioning correctly with your spine. A healthy back has two natural curves, one behind the neck and one at the lower back, creating a slight S-shaped curve.
Benefits of good posture:
- It can improve your child’s concentration and learning abilities.
- It can also improve self-esteem and confidence.
- It can make them feel better and happier.
- It can boost their energy levels.
- And may lower their risk of having health complications.
Tips for improving or maintaining a good posture include:
- Ensure your child always carries their backpack on both shoulders.
- Try to buy them bags that have padded shoulder straps.
- Your child should not carry more than 10 to 15% of their entire body weight.
- Ensure that your child sits up straight, using the back of the chair for support. Do not let them sit on the edge of their seats.
- Ensure that your child always keeps both feet flat on the floor when sitting.
- Monitor their screen time.
- Provide them with a good chair for studying.
- Make sure they have a supportive bed and pillow.
- Make sure that your child keeps active and participates in physical exercise regularly.
If your child is struggling to maintain good posture or is experiencing any pain or discomfort, an osteopath may be able to offer assistance. Osteopathy uses hands-on techniques to diagnose, treat and prevent musculoskeletal ailments. It takes a holistic approach and is perfectly safe to be used alongside other forms of treatment.
Contact us at OsteoVision if you would like to discuss your child’s symptoms, have any questions or would like to book an appointment. Our team of highly skilled professionals are always on hand to assist you.
Call: 03303 904 300
Email: info@osteovision.life
You can also book an appointment online at www.osteovision.life