What are the 5 main signs of poor posture?
It is very common for many people to start off sitting upright in your chair and as the day goes past, they slouch into their chair. Even though they correct their posture multiple times, they end up in a slumped posture once again. If this describes your day, you may have a poor posture. A poor posture can also lead to other issues such as nerve pains, constipation, gastric issues, urinary incontinence and bladder issues, etc. In this blog we will discuss five main signs of a poor posture and how they can lead to aches and pains in your spine and joints. 
 
The first sign of a poor posture is a forward head posture, ie; your head is placed forwards in relation to your body or torso. To determine if you have a forward head posture, stand sideways and draw a line from your ear lobe to your shoulder blade. If your ear lobe lies ahead of your shoulder tip, then you have a forward head posture. This posture is usually seen in those who are straining their neck forwards to look at a screen for long hours. It creates a lot of stress around the neck muscles and nerves in that area. The more forward the head more is the stress on the neck. Example: for every degree that the head moves forward there is an additional load of 4.5 kgs on to your neck. 
 
If the nerves in the upper part of the cervical spine get irritated or compressed due to this forward head posture it can lead to frequent headaches. These are known as cervicogenic or cervical headaches as they originate in the cervical spine, This is the second sign of a poor posture. These headaches start in the neck and go up the back of the head and the forehead. Any activities that relive the neck pain will give relief in headache too. These could be rest, hot pack, exercises, etc. 
 
Another sign of poor posture are rounded shoulders. Most of our daily activities are flexor dominant, i.e. in the front of the body, be it diaper changes or typing or driving or cooking, etc. This tends to make us more prone to rounded shoulders, which is another sign of a poor posture. Most of the times, a forward head posture and rounded shoulders are seen together in people with poor posture. Another form of poor posture that is commonly seen with these two postures is a rounded or slouched mid back. Most people associate slouching with the lower back and not with the mid back, but interestingly, majority of the people with poor posture exhibit rounding of the mid back or thoracic spine. This trifecta of forward head posture, rounded shoulders and rounded mid back is usually seen in those who sit or drive for prolonged hours, specially reading or working on computers. 
 
Another sign of poor posture that evolves from prolonged sitting is a tilted pelvis. When we sit for long hours the muscles in the front of the tight are in a shortened position due to which the pelvis gets tilted anteriorly or forwards. This can lead to an increase in the curve of the lower back, muscle imbalances in the area, lower back pain, a weak core and other problems such as sciatica and other nerve pains, urinary incontinence, etc.

It takes consistent effort to change habits and switch over to a good posture but it is not an impossible task. Here is a video on "Is it too late to fix your posture?"



Click HERE for a free checklist of how to maintain a good posture while working from home.

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MEET SWATI

 
Hi there! 
I am Swati, an Executive Mum Power Coach and a Certified Posture Expert. I use my proven system to help mums of younger kids working in high-stress executive jobs manage their back, neck, and nerve pains, despite low energy levels and brain fog. I do all this without taking away a big chunk of their time out of their already busy day. This enables them to be more productive and capable professionals at work and guilt-free mums who can focus on their kids instead of always being distracted by pain. 



My passion for helping executive mums stems from my own experiences. I have been in the same boat and understand the frustration and helplessness of being in constant pain or being afraid to engage in activities due to the fear of pain. After two pregnancies in the span of three years and juggling my two kids, housework, and a demanding job, I was constantly in pain. The weight gain from motherhood added extra stress to my already overburdened spine and joints. I was stuck in a vicious cycle of weight loss and spinal/nerve pain that I just couldn’t break free from.

On top of the physical pain, I also suffered from adrenal fatigue. I often felt exhausted, waking up groggy even after a full night’s (10 to 12 plus hours!) sleep, and struggled with low energy levels and brain fog. Simple tasks became challenging, and I found myself forgetting things and unable to think clearly. It was incredibly frustrating and made it even harder to balance my professional responsibilities and family life.

My work involved long hours of standing during the day, prolonged hours on the laptop in the evening, and lots of running around and rocking my kids to sleep in between. Despite my knowledge and expertise in pain relief, I still found myself unable to escape the constant daily pain and fatigue.

Sitting at a desk job from 9 to 5, or longer, plus endless meetings that seem to go on forever. The frequent traveling, the uncomfortable hotel pillows that make it impossible to get a good night’s sleep—I’ve experienced it all. I remember not being able to share my discomfort at work because I felt like an imposter, talking about pain relief strategies and focusing on work while I was not able to achieve it myself. I didn’t disclose the extent of my pain and forgetfulness to my colleagues for years. Even though I loved my kids and my job, I couldn’t give 100% to either. The discomfort held me back from reaching my full potential, making me feel guilty as a mum and less productive at work. I felt like I was constantly running on empty, unable to catch a break from the pain and exhaustion.

finally got fed up after years of trying and decided to make a New Year’s resolution to get ‘healthy’ instead of focusing solely on my pain, fatigue, forgetfulness, and weight loss. When I shifted my focus to getting healthier by reducing the inflammation in my body and addressing my adrenal fatigue, the pain started to decrease, my energy levels and focus improved, and the pounds started shedding off too! That, of course, meant a happier spine, nerves, joints, and a happier me! Today, my neck, back, and nerve pain are down to zero, my knee pain has reduced by 75%, my brain fog has reduced drastically and my energy levels are higher than ever. I realized that I had been focusing on the wrong solutions for over a decade!

Now, my mission is to share my knowledge of pain relief and managing adrenal fatigue along with my personal experience with other mums, especially those with younger kids who work in high-stress executive jobs. My goal is to help you find lasting relief, boost your energy, and reclaim your life, just as I did. 

If you can relate to all this, you are not alone. As a mum, I have been there and done that—momma, I got you! I’ve helped hundreds of mums in this situation over the years find their solution to manage spinal and joint pains, low energy levels, and brain fog that hold them back. This enables them to feel confidently in control and empowers them to cultivate that confidence and productivity at work and enjoy being with their kids, to be able to run around with them without the fear of injury or pain.

Are you ready for this journey? Ask me how if you are curious.

Let's DO THIS!
xx Swati
** Executive Mum Power Coach **

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