According to new research, the posture we adopt when staring at our iPhones/Samsungs/Nokias puts as much stress on our spines as if an 8-year-old child was sitting on our heads. And the amount of time we spend squinting through our Vibers, Whatsapps and, occasionally, text messages, it's understandably, wrecking our backs.
'The weight seen by the spine dramatically increases when flexing the head forward at varying degrees. […] As the head tilts forward the forces seen by the neck surges to 27 pounds at 15 degrees, 40 pounds at 30 degrees, 49 pounds at 45 degrees and 60 pounds at 60 degrees,' Dr Kenneth Hansraj says as he sows the seeds of spine-doom in the Surgical Technology Journal.
But wait! Sit down (with a straight back), make a cup of tea (while maintaining aforementioned straight back) and absorb these top tips for rescuing your sad little vertabrae.
Do this test to check your posture
OK. Ready for a rude, slouchy awakening? Stand with feet slightly apart and your heels against a wall, with your shoulder blades also against the wall (make sure it's not a curved wall) and if the back of your head doesn't rest naturally against the wall, then you need to correct your posture. How many times can I say wall? Wall.
Then start walking like that
Basically, that last wall trick shows you what your posture should be like, and allows you to replicate it during your daily life. At frequent intervals, test yourself again in case your posture has slipped again, but make sure nobody sees you doing this because you might look mad. The straighter you stand, the stranger it'll feel to slouch, which is the result you're aiming for.
Check your phone like a mad person
Instead of looking at your phone with your head bent, as is the way of normal people, buck the trend by holding it in front of your face like a grandparent with no glasses on, wearing a neck brace. You'll look totally bizarre, but on the plus side, this might make you check your phoneless - and considering we spend on average 2-4 hours staring at that little square o' light every day, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Do some naff exercises
Probably best to do these in the comfort of your own home, but there are lots of different movements you can do to stretch and strengthen your spinal region (NOT the technical term). Here's one of the easiest and least taxing because you're a busy person who doesn't have time to do forty minutes of The Alexander Technique every day. But bear in mind that the Alexander Technique is brilliant for poor posture (and isn't as difficult as yoga)
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Square your posture, head upright, so that your ears are in line with your shoulders. Vertically, not horizontally. Aligning your ears horizontally to your shoulders would be upsetting for everyone involved.
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Raise both of your arms straight out, alongside your ears, palms up. That's the palms of your hands, not fronds of a palm tree etc, etc, yawn.
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Bend your forearms in and back, toward your shoulders, in an effort to touch your shoulder blades with your fingertips. If you can actually touch your shoulder blades with your fingertips then you're a mutant.
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Do ten repetitions with both arms, then alternate ten reps for each single arm.
Utilise your office chair
Ever noticed that your chair has all these weird knobs and springy bits that change the way it positions you? Start tailoring them to suit your back needs - the ideal desk position is sitting up straight with your arse right at the back of the chair, and your tailbone resting on the back of said chair, with your hands perfectly horizontal to your elbows as you type. Basically, come into *The Debrief *offices, take a picture of me, and use it as a guideline for how not to sit (currently slouching with my arse pretty much off the front of the chair, my hands are way above my elbows and I'm using a coat to quash stomach cramps in case anyone wants to ask me out on a date).
Don't look at the floor when you amble about
Apart from making you look shifty and as if you've got very low self esteem, it pulls your head down as if you're looking at texts (and therefore have a toddler on your head) and undoes all the good work you've been doing against that wall. Don't jut your chin out, but keep your head as level as possible without appearing like a robot. Push your shoulderblades back and avoid pushing your head forward. Yes, it's a lot to think about.
Chuck out that shit mattress
A firm mattress makes a firm posture, so opt for one of those amazing memory foam badboys or just a better quality one. Sleeping on your back, with just one pillow is optimum - the more pillows and cushions you have, the weirder a position your neck will find itself in upon waking. Also, if you sleep on your side, slip a pillow between your knees to keep your back nice and straight.
Exhausting isn't it? But don't worry, soon we'll be wearing phones in our eyes so our posture won't even matter anymore.
Like this? You might also be interested in...
Charging Your iPhone In Your Bedroom Is Making You Fat And It's Not As Mad As It Sounds
Definitive Proof That Texting While Walking Isn't A Great Idea
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Picture: Eylul Aslan
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.