Grey-Bruce Kids Winter 2021/22

WHAT IS POSTURE?
Posture can be referred to as the overall position of your body as
you stand, sit, lie down, or with movements.
Good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit
and lie, so as to place the least strain on muscles, ligaments, and
joints while you are performing these activities.
When sitting, it is best to sit up straight with support behind
the lower back, knees and elbows and 90 degrees, feet flat on the
floor, and have the screen placed just below eye level.
Ideally, when standing, our ears should be aligned with our
shoulders, which are aligned with our hips, knees, and ankles.
What can kids do to reduce the stress placed on the body with
screen time?
• Get up and move – go for a walk around the room, get a
drink of water every 15 minutes.
• Stretch – reach up with your arms, look up to the ceiling
and hold for 10 seconds every 15 minutes.
• Take breaks from screens when possible and try to limit the
time spent on electronics.
• If possible, try standing with electronic use, as long as
screens are near eye level.
• Maintain good posture
In order to help maintain a healthy posture long term,
getting into a wellness routine that focuses on mobility and
strengthening is a good way to keep your child feeling young
while promoting good posture. Our bodies are designed to be
dynamic, and therefore movement is important. Both flexibility
and strength play a significant role in how your posture
develops. Flexibility and mobility of the spine and body can be
improved with stretching, soft tissue techniques, chiropractic
adjustments, and strengthening exercises.
SIMPLE STRETCHES
• Doorway stretch. Place forearms on the door frames, elbows
at 90 degrees, and lean forward.
• Cat/camel. On hands and knees, raise upper/mid-back
while bringing head down, then raise head upwards while
letting your upper/mid-back arch downward.
• Trapezius stretch. Reach your hand on your head and pull
your head down to the side toward your hip.
• Thoracic extension. Lie on your stomach and push up off
the floor with your forearms to stretch your upper back.
• Foam roller mobility. Lie on your back on top of a foam
roller placed across your upper back, and roll up and down.
• Neck range of motion. Move your neck forward, backward,
side-to-side, and rotate each direction.
• Scap retractions. Sit with your elbows at your side and pull
your shoulder blades back and down.
• Wall angels. Standing with your back and arms against the
wall with elbows near 90 degrees, slowly raise and lower
your arms, keeping your back and arms against the wall.
• Superman. Lying on your stomach, reach arms out in front
and raise your chest and legs off the floor.
These are just a few of the many stretches and exercises that
may help with maintaining a good posture, and there are many
more available. Additionally, having strong core muscles enables
proper posture from the pelvis upwards to the upper back and
neck. Including core strengthening exercises to your child’s
wellness routine would be highly recommended and beneficial.
Realistically, and as a parent of teenage boys, I understand your
kids may not be as excited or motivated as you are to perform
all these exercises. So, start slowly. Pick one stretch, one mobility
exercise, and one or two strengthening exercises. Make it fun by
challenging your kids to see how long they can hold stretches,
or how many sets and reps they can do versus mom or dad.
Have them set a timer on their phone so they will be reminded
to get up and move and stretch every 15 minutes while on their
devices. Pick a time of day to work on their exercises.
Good posture is about more than standing up straight so you
can look your best. It is an important part of your long-term
health. Making sure that you hold your body the right way,
whether you are moving or still, can prevent pain, injuries, and
other health problems.
GBK
DR. BRAD MURRAY is a Chiropractor and owner of Lucknow
Chiropractic & Wellness Centre. He has been in practice for over 20
years. Contact him at 519-528-5083, drbrad@lucknowchiropractic.com
or visit www.lucknowchiropractic.com.
12 GREY-BRUCE KIDS • WINTER 2021/22