Tip of the Month - August 2021

Coach Monika Says…

COVID-19 Its Impact on Children’s Posture

Children and youth have slowly begun to emerge from their enforced hiatus with disturbing habits when standing, walking, or in sitting positions. Their posture is extremely flawed, most likely due to constant forward bending for online learning and smartphone usage. Parents engross themselves in a similar fashion, and most likely are unaware of their own postural deficiencies or of their children’s. Incorrect posture affects not only quality of life, but also all skill learning and improving technique in sport activities for optimum and maximal performance. Therefore, coaches need to encourage their athletes to become more aware of posture and remind them to deliberately start focusing on correcting their bad postural habits.

I came across an article in the Health section of the German magazine “Die Aktuelle”, which happens to address postural decline during the pandemic.

Serious Issue:

  • Incorrect posture not only affects muscles but also joints

  • Consistently looking down at your gadget or looking at your computer set up at an incorrect height puts pressure on the first vertebra (Atlas) with pressure up to 30 kilogram [!], according to medical research!

  • This behaviour – if consistent – leads to wear and tear of the joint.

Recommended Exercises:

Sitting Side Stretch

  • Take 5-minute breaks every hour and engage in some stretching exercise.

  • Assume upright sitting position on floor, bend legs and tuck inward (Taylor or Frog-sit), bent arms resting lightly on upper thighs, extend R arm vertical above head and curve arm toward L side, head tucked underneath arm, hold 10 seconds or counts, return arm to thigh, 6-12 repetitions, change arm, repeat.

Sitting Body Twist on Chair

  • Sit upright on a chair, legs bent in a comfortable position (ideal 90-degrees), feet flat and parallel on floor, grasp L side of chair firmly with R hand, pull R side into body twist, hold 10 second or counts, return to straight sitting position, 6-12 repetitions, repeat to opposite side.

References:

Die Aktuelle Zeitschrift (2021, July 31). Aktuelle Gesundheit [Actual health]. Immer schhön beweglich bleiben [Always stay mobile]. Handy: Haltung wahren [Cell phone: Keep the posture.], p. 64. Ismaning, Germany: Die Aktuelle.

Die Aktuelle Zeitschrift (2021, July 31). Aktuelle Gesundheit [Actual health]. Gymnastik am Schreibtisch [Gymnastic exercise at the desk], p. 65. Ismaning, Germany: Die Aktuelle.

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