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Perfect Posture -Looking for love this Valentine’s Day?

By 13 Feb, 2015 News

Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? New consumer research from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) reveals that a perfect posture ranks highly on the attractiveness scale, with more than half (58%) stating that a good posture makes a potential partner more appealing.

Despite a perfect posture being high on the wish list for a perfect partner, almost a third (29%) of those people surveyed had been told they have bad posture.
 
Now the BCA is encouraging people to straighten up to help give them a chance of finding romance.
BCA chiropractor Rishi Loatey comments: “Maintaining a good posture is a major step in preventing back pain. When leading a busy lifestyle, the basic warning signs of back problems can go unnoticed but our survey showed that 40% of people are actively aware of their posture when they’re with someone else, so looking for love could be a great trigger to improving the way we hold ourselves.”
 
For those who have been told they have a bad posture, almost one in five (18%) admit that it bothered them and it seems the younger generation are the most self-conscious, with 24% of 16-24 year olds caring about what people think of their posture.
 

The picture changes across the UK; Glaswegians are effected the most with 27% concerned by others’ comments and this figure almost halves to 14% for those in Edinburgh. But it’s the Geordies who are the least bothered, with just one in ten (11%) phased by what people think of their posture.
“Out of those who received remarks about a poor posture, 30% spend the majority of their working day sitting, which is one of the biggest contributing factors to their less than perfect back and neck health,” added Loatey. “But you don’t have to be left on the shelf; there are lots of ways to help improve your posture.”

THE BCA’S TOP TIPS FOR A PERFECT POSTURE:
• Sit up straight & keep moving: Keep arms relaxed and close to the body and supported if possible if. Make sure the top of the screen is level with the eyebrows and the chair is titled slightly forward, allowing the knees to be lower than the hips and the feet to be flat on the floor. Try to limit yourself to forty-minutes sitting at a time and take regular breaks.
• Don’t drive yourself around the bend: There is almost twice as much pressure on your lower back when you are sitting incorrectly, than there is if you stand up. A relaxed and supported driving position reduces stress on the spine. Allow your seat to take your weight, make sure you are sitting as far back in the car seat as possible so it can support you fully.
• Get fitted: You need a well-engineered bra so your shoulders don’t take all of the strain and end up doing all of the work. Bras that don’t fit will affect the shoulders and chest and may cause back pain as you get older. Make sure your bra gives you enough support as possible.
• Footloose and fancy free: Good footwear is an essential part of having a good posture. Soft-soled, supportive shoes with good grip are recommended. If you’re a lover of high heels be sure to pack your flats for a night out and kick off your stilettos when sitting at your desk.
• At the end of the day: Try adopting a sleeping position that creates less physical stress on the back. For example, lay on your side and not on your front with your neck twisted. When you wake up, try some gentle stretches, before getting out of bed.