How Bad Posture Affects Your Run
The Coronavirus has forced many of us to work from home, for better or for worse. While at the office you likely had a great ergonomic chair and maybe even a standing desk, your home set-up is probably lacking,. You work hunched over the kitchen table, laying in bed, and sprawled on the couch. While it may feel comfortable, sitting in these positions day in and day out can be damaging. And now that we know that we’re unlikely to head back to the office any day soon, it’s time to start paying attention to posture.
“Bad” posture usually involves slouching, which is fine in moderation. But when you’re in that position for hours a day every week, it can lead to structural changes of the spine and muscles, which causes people to notice or complain of pain.
Why Posture is Important for Runners
It is recommended that anyone who sits all day to work gets up once an hour at minimum. Those that don’t, and especially runners, may start to develop stiffness in the hamstrings, hip flexors, hip joints, thoracic spine, and pectorals. This can make your dynamic movements, including lunges, overhead presses, push-ups, and rows, less effective. Sitting all day can can affect everything from your arm swing to the pushoff phase of your gate to diaphragm function.
Sitting all day long can also cause dormant butt syndrome, which is weakness in the glutes and tightness in the hip flexors.
How Does Pain from Bad Posture Affect Runners?
First, extended periods of slouching can cause stiffness of the hip for runners. This then affects the lumbar spine, excessive thoracic flexion, and stiffness, which can promote excessive cervical spine extension and scapular abduction. It then can cause neck pain, which leads to headaches.
It can even cause excessive anterior gliding of the shoulder leading to shoulder pain, especially with overhead movements.
Plus, stiffness and strain on the spine can affect the ability of the abdominal muscles to properly stabilize and lengthen the spine.
If you sit for long periods with your knees bent, your hamstrings are put in a shortened position and tend to feel tight behind the knee. “But, at the same time, you’re putting the hamstring in a stretched position at the sit bone level,” says Jen Davis, DPT.
All of these issues combined affect your ability to train and workout efficiently, increasing your risk of injury.
How can Runners Combat Bad Posture
First, make sure you get up from your seat and move around once per hour. Walk across the room (or better yet, walk around the block), and do some stretching, such as:
Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneel on your left knee, with your right foot in front of your body so knee and ankle form 90-degree angles. Lean forward from the hips. Keep chest lifted and hips forward. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
2. Glute Bridge
Place a resistance band around your legs just above the knees. Lie faceup with knees bent, feet flat on floor, and arms resting at sides. Push knees out slightly so that there is tension on the band. Squeeze glutes and hamstrings to lift hips up off floor, keeping core engaged throughout so body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Lower hips and repeat.
3. Upper Trapezius Stretch
Sit on a chair or bench, so that you can maintain a 90-degree bend in the hips and the knees. Pull the shoulders slightly back to sit up tall and anchor left hand under the chair or hook it under the thigh. Lean your trunk away from the left hand to create a stretch in the top of the arm. Tilt head away from the left arm to feel the stretch along your neck. To deepen the stretch, gently place the right hand on the side of the head above your ear to bend the head a little bit further to the side. Repeat on the other side.
4. Updog (Lumbar Mobilization Stretch)
Lie facedown on the floor. Bend your elbows to place your palms flat on the floor beside your ribs. Press firmly into palms and straighten arms, lifting torso, hips, and the tops of thighs up off the ground. Hold for a few breaths before lowering back down.
How to Set Up Your Work Space for Good Posture
Now that you’ll be working from home for a while, invest in a good ergonomic setup. Your body will thank you. Make sure your setup includes:
A chair with armrests that properly support your arms and reduce the load on your neck
Position your monitor at eye level and 20 inches in front of you
If you work on a laptop, invest in an external keyboard
From there, adjust your desk chair and electronics to achieve this posture:
Elbows should be resting comfortably at 90 degrees and the wrists should be straight.
Hips and knees should be positioned at 90 degrees with your thighs parallel to the floor and feet flat on the floor.
Lean all the way back in your chair, with your backrest positioned comfortably on your low back to allow the upper body to be properly supported
As you can see, paying to your attention is very important for runners. If you want to reduce your risk of injury and run pain-free for years, invest in that good chair. Your body will thank you.
If you have any questions about posture or stretches to combat bad posture, contact Dr. Jen Davis today.