“What I’m going to teach you about today is how to have good posture throughout your lives.”

That was Dr Della Schmid’s commitment to attendees at the start of her From the Ground Up class at the C.H. Booth Library March 7.

Upon hearing her opening remarks — whether subconsciously or intentionally — many people in the class sat up a little straighter in their chairs.

Dr Schmid is a licensed chiropractor and Sandy Hook resident who has been serving the Newtown community for more than 25 years at her 19 Church Hill Road practice.

During her interactive class at the library, she explained the consequences of poor posture and the benefits of making small changes to daily activities to promote proper posture.

“Posture is the position in which we hold our bodies while standing, sitting, or lying down,” Dr Schmid explained.

Common habits that display poor posture can be seen when slouching in chairs, sitting with a laptop or desktop screen below eye level, wearing high heels or shoes without arch support, having a heavy backpack or purse over one shoulder, and craning the head and neck forward while texting.

“If you maintain good posture, you will have less strain and pain,” Dr Schmid said. “Don’t we all want that?”

In most cases — with the exception of those with circumstances like degenerative conditions, arthritis, and scoliosis — there are ways to control the body to create good posture.

An important way is to maintain symmetry during activities and avoid leaning to one side.

“It’s really important to have good balance,” Dr Schmid emphasized.

When looking at the body, seated or standing, there should be an even distribution of weight and pressure.

Quick Tips For Good Posture

Dr Schmid did a variety demonstrations to show examples of poor posture and how to correct it. Here are some of her tips for good posture:

1. For talking on the phone, she recommended switching the side of the face the phone is held to rather than favoring one side all the time. Those who are frequently on the phone for work may benefit from utilizing a hands-free headset.
2. When texting, instead of keeping the phone so low that the neck and head strain to look downward, hold the phone closer to eye level to avoid neck and shoulder pain.
3. Children with heavy backpacks should wear both straps to distribute the weight evenly; while people with heavy purses should alternate the strap to not overexert one side.
4. When sitting, feet should ideally be flat on the ground, but for those who sit with their legs or ankles crossed, it is important to do the reverse leg or ankle to create more balance for the muscles.
5. To prevent neck and back problems, drivers should keep both hands on the wheel to avoid leaning to one side and keep items at close reach to avoid straining to grab something in the back seat.
6. Instead of wearing shoes with little or no arch support, like Converse and Uggs, Dr Schmid recommends wearing shoes with good arch support. She also suggests wearing slippers with arch support at home instead of going barefoot.
7. Those who sit at a desk for work should have a height-adjustable chair with good lumbar support and arms on the side.
8. Stomach sleeping is discouraged because it rotates the head excessively to one side and can cause neck pain and headaches. Side sleeping can be done if the top leg does not over extend across the bottom leg, but the best posture for sleeping is to lay on your back with a pillow that supports the neck.

These everyday changes, along with reducing stress through breathing exercises, can make a significant impact on preventing strains and pain.

Chiropractic care can also be a way to assess posture and restore normal alignment in the body without surgery or medication.

Looking out at everyone in attendance, Dr Schmid said, “I hope what I have taught you will help you feel less pain.”

For more information about Dr Della Schmid’s chiropractic practice, go to drdschmid.com or call 203-426-5500.