IMPROVE YOUR CHILD’S POSTURE
Kids grow up in a blink of an eye and laying a strong foundation is important. The Stretch Clinic Chief Therapist and Osteopath Dr Kenny Wong shares how children can practise good posture and spinal care.
As parents, we want the best for our children. When they are young, we wish for them to be healthy and independent. As they grow and develop, it is the physical changes that we often find hard to ignore. We notice how their bodies change and worry when they start to complain about physical pains.
In Singapore, most children spend hours sitting at their desks: completing assignments, preparing for examinations, revising notes or studying on e-learning platforms. Poor posture may begin to look like rounded shoulders or head forward of shoulders. Children may also be slouching or holding their head up in their hand while sitting.
The lack of free-play and open spaces have encouraged parents to enrol their children for extra-curricular activities, usually in a sport. Although better than not increasing the amount of movement our children get on a daily basis, many of these sports involve unilateral movements which are often repetitive (i.e. the same arm swing when playing tennis or using the dominant leg during football). These repetitive movements can cause muscular imbalances. So what can we do to help our children?
Choose The Right Footwear
One quick fix to helping our children improve their posture is to get them good footwear. Shoes with a good heel support and a good grip will make it easier to walk confidently, carry heavy school bags and participate in activities with ease. Here are some things to look out for:
Opt for a wider toe box as shoes that are too narrow towards the front can cause bunions
Choose shoes that have a "zero drop". These are shoes that are not raised.
Go for shoes that have limited cushioning to enable the foot muscle to continue to work
Barefoot type shoes are exceptionally important to ensure that intrinsic foot muscles continue to stay strong otherwise poor posture can occur with poor stability of the foot.
Experience Cranial Osteopathy
The birth of a baby is a magical, life-changing moment but labour is not an easy process as all mums will be able to tell you. Babies often experience trauma from that journey through the birth canal which can lead to being born with odd-shaped heads and some bruising. Cranial osteopathy facilitates the development of good posture and overall wellbeing.
As children explore the world around them, accidents do happen and a fall on the head is not uncommon. This can create tension on certain parts of the neck and shoulder, causing changes in movement patterns and posture. Limitations in head movement, walking gait and balance are altered in the process. These children may seem uncoordinated and find it hard to pick up specific movement drills.
Cranial osteopathy helps rebalance the body and reduce the trauma that has occured in the cranial and body. It can help babies that experience difficulty in latching when breastfed, issues in digestion and even sleep. For older children, cranial osteopathy can help with posture, balance and coordination.
Prioritise Outdoor Play Time
Play is one of the best ways to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Most environments cater to enabling your children to run around but not many provide facilities for upper body strengthening. Look for playgrounds that include structures for climbing such as rock-climbing or monkey bars. Encourage your children to use their courage, confidence and perseverance to attempt those.
In addition, installing play equipment in your balcony or backyard can also engage and strengthen various muscles of their bodies. Rowing machines, treadmills and elliptical trainers come in kid-friendly sizes, making it an accessible, entertaining activity while working the specific muscles necessary for proper support of the spine.
Book an osteopathy session with Dr Kenny Wong. The Stretch Clinic partners with COMO Shambhala to offer a wide range of holistic services to enable an active lifestyle in a pain-free, healthy body.