Time Once Again To Remind Them To Sit Up Straight

I remember when I was a kid having my mom say sit up straight.  It was good advice then and turns out to be even better advise for kids now. You see in a recent survey by the healthcare provider Simplyhealth  some 84 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 admitted to having suffered back pain in the past year.  The reason?  Professionals are calling it iPosture. The term is being used to describe the stooped body shape adopted by those texting, emailing or playing games on their Laptop, iPad or smartphone.

I addition to pain 18 to 24s are also missing works  due to the condition.

THE STUDY IN NUMBERS

• 1.5 more working days per year are lost to back pain by 18-24 year olds, compared to the number of days lost each year by their parents’ generation
• 84 per cent of 18-24 year olds have admitted to suffering back pain in the last 12 months
• Over 55s spent an average of 6.64 hours a day in front of a computer screen
• A typical 18-24 year old spends 8.83 hours a day in front of a screen
• 66 per cent of this younger age group agree they either slouch or hunch in front of their PC

The results also show that almost all age groups spend as much time in front of a computer, laptop or tablet screen in total as they do asleep in bed, some even more so.  Part of that could be down to a lack of old-fashioned advice, because it appears that being told to sit up straight seems to be on the decline.

The good news is according to doctors, being aware you are slouching or hunching over your tablet or smartphone is half the battle. The other half  of course is to counter this bad habit and the potential pain it can generate by always sitting up with a straight back with your device in a comfortable position at a reasonable height in front of you.