B2 – Upper intermediate
With certain jobs that require sitting in front of the computer for long hours, it is important that we know how proper posture plays a role in keeping us healthy and ache-free.
Let’s find out more about the proper sitting posture and the good effects of it to our health and body.
Read the article then answer the quiz on the site to check your comprehension.
Scientists are beginning to understand that sitting down for long hours can be very bad for your health. One of the reasons for this is that poor posture leads to health problems. Here is some advice to help improve your posture and your health.
Sitting with poor posture can lead to serious chronic back pain that doesn’t go away. Many people wrongly believe that they should sit with their backs straight at a 90 degree angle to the floor. Scientists, however, have recently discovered that this actually causes more stress on the body. They found that sitting with the back slightly reclined at a 135 degree angle is the healthiest posture. The back muscles are more relaxed and the spine is at a more natural resting position.
Many people develop constant neck pain while sitting. They bend their necks forward to look at a screen or read a book. The lower neck muscles need to work very hard to support the weight of the head. The bones in the spine can slide forward, causing a great deal of neck pain. To avoid this problem, you should try to look at the top portion of a computer screen when working at a desk. Your elbows should be at the side and your feet should be flat on the floor.
You should also try to occasionally stop work and do some stretching exercises. Put your hands behind your back and bring your chest forward slowly. Take a deep breath and relax. You could also try to work while standing up. Finally, you can try to buy a special kind of chair that is built to improve sitting posture.
Original post from: http://dreamreader.net
Discuss:
1. Can you say that you have good posture?
2. Do you try to do some stretches in the middle of the day when you feel like your body is getting tired?
3. What are some of the exercises you do to keep your muscles in shape?