Proper Posture For Phone Texting and Reading

There’s no getting around the fact that our phones are now an integral part of our personal and work lives. In a fast-moving world, it’s almost inconceivable to imagine the time before communication was instantaneous. Yet these great advances have some hidden costs. And we’re not talking about the complexities of your data plan. All that time hunched over your phone can add up to neck and posture problems later down the line. Even if you like to do your reading the old-fashioned way, words on paper can cause much the same problems as their digital counterparts.

Fortunately, there are some pretty straightforward ways to manage these issues through proper texting and reading posture. We’ll outline some practical tips in this blog post.

1 – Bring the device to your eyes, not your eyes to the device

Try to get into the habit of bringing your phone to your eye level. Rather than looking down at your phone. In a similar way to how bad sitting posture leads to back pain, the slouching which stems from improper texting posture can also lead to problems, particularly in the cervical and thoracic areas of the spine.

2 – Use a book stand

Holding a book upright for a sustained period of time can pose a challenge. So you’re more likely to revert to a poor reading posture after a while. A book stand can help with this. And they are particularly useful for those who suffer from chronic pain or have existing injuries. There is a wide range of stands available suitable for all budgets from major retailers and smaller businesses. A worthwhile investment for the avid reader.

3 – Use posture awareness in all situations

It’s all too easy to fall into bad habits when it comes to positioning your spine, especially when we’re tired or distracted. The key to overcoming the problems that can result from improper posture is to replace those negative habits with good habits. Reinforce good posture by remaining mindful of the situation you find yourself in and try to avoid those common posture pitfalls.

4 – Perform a posture reset

There are several helpful yoga poses that can help manage back pain, another useful move is to perform a posture reset. This can be done by standing up and activating the glutes. Next, take a deep breath and engage your core while you externally rotate your shoulders by bringing your arms away from the body. As you do this bring your head back to align your ears with your shoulders. Hold this pose for about thirty seconds and repeat as needed.

So there you have it, some simple and practical tips for proper phone texting and reading posture. By remaining mindful of your situation and avoiding poor texting or reading posture, you can alleviate many of the problems that can stem from bad habits.

Thanks for reading, please share this post with anyone who you think might benefit from it.

Contact us here for a consultation with our chiropractor. Or give us a call at 215-343-3223.