Students spend around six hours a day sitting behind a desk in an uncomfortable plastic chair. According to Jenna Hrdlicka, writer for Iowa State Daily, “slouching over computers, slinging heavy backpacks over one shoulder and squeezing into those too-small classroom desks are posture-ruining actions that many students perform daily.”

“After sitting for long periods of time my back starts to hurt,” said junior Alex Allwood, “it hinders my ability to focus.” 

Sitting in a chair with bad posture for extended periods of time can lead to temporary and permanent back pain, but small corrections in posture can make a positive difference. According to the Mayo Clinic “good posture can help prevent muscle strain, overuse disorders, and back and muscular pain.”

“Having long blocks affects my posture even more,” said senior Ashante Conley, “I’m slouching without knowing… so after I get up I have a lot of back aches.” 

Between hunching over our phones and hunching over our desks, we have turned into a generation that is constantly looking down. 

“I look down more than I need to,” said senior Dana Potter. “It takes a toll on my athletic activities and everyday life.”

This is all the more reason to get outside, move around, and stretch after school and when on breaks like summer break and spring break.

“I have noticed that while on spring break I did not experience back pain,” said junior Kelsie Sharpe, “but after going back to school I have been experiencing back pain again.” 

The main solution is bad posture and the aches and pains that go along with it is to pay attention to how we are sitting, straighten our backs, and relax our shoulders. There are back trainers available online, but they can be bulky and/or expensive. Anther solution is lifting weights. There are exercises that strengthen your back and make it easier to stand and sit up straight. Simple back and core exercises can help with the problem. 

If you’re looking for some simple stretches to get you started on the path to better posture check out this Heathline article.