5 Common Daily Habits That Are Causing You Pain

Most people are unaware of the bad habits they have developed that affect both posture and increased weight bearing on your muscles. The solution to your pain can be as simple as adjusting the ways in which you position your body throughout the day so your muscles can stay in a more neutral state.

1. Crossing legs when sitting
This unnatural elevation of the hip compresses the opposite side, which is carrying more of your body weight. Your spine can also be pulled out of alignment and create pressure on your sciatic nerve, causing both back and hip pain.
If it isn't comfortable having your feet flat on the floor, try overlapping your ankles instead of your legs.

​2. Hunching shoulders and craning neck while sitting at your desk
Most people with desk jobs subconsciously adopt bad posture while sitting in front of the computer. The problem is that leaning forward and allowing your shoulders to collapse compresses your chest muscles and strains your shoulders and upper back.
Two simple tricks can instantly improve your posture: use a supportive chair pillow for your lower back and keep your screen at eye level to prevent you from tilting your head up or down to see.

3. Sleeping on stomach versus side
Sleeping on your stomach can cause a lot of strain on your back and neck as the pillow adds an unnatural lift. However, sleeping on your side also causes your head be turned to either the right or left for an extended period of time, which also causes pain. Therefore, the best position for sleeping is lying on your back, with only one pillow beneath your head.
Consider placing a pillow between your knees to help support your spine and stabilize the middle of your body while sleeping on your side. If you must sleep on your stomach, limit yourself to only one pillow.

4. Carrying a heavy bag or purse
Carrying a large amount of weight on your shoulders can form uneven muscle tone and disrupt the blood flow, which can eventually cause discomfort in your neck, shoulders, and back.
Switch to a rolling briefcase or cross-body bag, which both evenly distribute weight, if you have to carry a lot.

5. Wearing high heels
Wearing high heels (two inches or higher) often can cause your calf muscles to shorten by 13 percent over the course of just two years. This is mainly due to the increased compression of your calf muscles and tendons, as well as inflammation of the Achilles tendon.
Switch to flat or low-healed shoes with rounded or square toe boxes to prevent the wearing down of your calf muscles. Keep your calf muscles strong with regular stretches and exercises.