Most of us have experienced back pain at several points in our life. It may occur due to an injury that you suffered from sports, an accident or a congenital condition. Most of the time, though, the reason is simply bad posture.

Studies have shown that repetitive activities such as sitting for long periods or lifting heavy objects can affect your posture and result in back pain that may even last a lifetime if not treated. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that their habits are causing their posture to worsen every passing minute.

Here are some of those bad habits that you should watch out for:

Texting with your head tilted

Text-neck has become an epidemic. Due to increased access to smartphones and tablets, individuals are constantly found looking down at their phones while tilting their heads. This increases the weight put on your cervical spine by 60 pounds, which is the equivalent of a young child. Prolonged periods in this unnatural angle can create several problems for your posture, and ultimately, your health.

Wearing high heels

Wearing heels on a daily basis can have an impact on the way you stand and walk. High heels are known for their effects on your muscles and calves by altering their structure and alignment. They also put excessive weight on the balls of your feet and crush your toes which further contribute to the worsening of your posture.

Shifting your weight to one foot

While this may lead to instant gratification, in the long-run, it can weaken your body’s core. When there’s excessive stress put on one leg, your lower back and hip are prone to becoming weaker, which may alter your posture in the near future.

Sleeping on your stomach

Most people have one or two sleeping positions that they find immensely comforting. One such position is sleeping on your stomach. However, this position can flatten the natural curve of the spine and add strain to the neck by forcing it to face one side. Individuals who sleep on their stomach can wake up with pain in their neck and the lower back region.

Smoking doesn’t just kill

Among the several bad outcomes of smoking, the effect on an individual’s bone structure is one of the worst. Excessive smoking can cause the bones of your body to become porous and can result in premature disc regeneration. These discs are lined with the backbones and are responsible for absorbing stress and shocks. Once damaged, even slight injuries can cause permanent damage to your posture.

Bad posture can cause lead to deterioration of your health, and that’s why one must be cautious about all these habits that have been outlined above. Another way in which individuals can overcome bad posture is to opt for physiotherapy. Sports & Exercise Medicine Institute clinic in Toronto offers several sports medicine services including physiotherapy. We also provide shockwave therapy, podiatry and concussion treatment among others.