Here’s how to get your posture back to its best. (Picture: Getty Images)

Office workers spend 75% of their waking hours sitting down — so it’s really no surprise that as we move into the new year, our postures might need a bit of work.

But just because we spend a lot of time sitting down, that doesn’t mean we have to give up on a good posture entirely.

‘The first thing to remember is that we are all different,’ physiotherapist Helen O’Leary told Metro.co.uk. ‘Most of us, unless you happen to be a dancer, won’t stand, sit or move like a dancer!

Good posture, Helen added, is ‘all relative.’ And there isn’t really any such thing as ‘ideal posture.’ In fact, our supposed ‘ideal posture’ is in constant flux. ‘It changes in every position we move into as gravity and other forces acts on our muscles and bones differently,’ she told us.

Helen, who is also the clinical director of Complete Pilates, says that ‘in general, good posture is when our spine is maintaining its natural curves – an in curve at the neck, out curve in the mid back and an in curve at the lower back.’

‘For some people these curves become excessive, and this is where we believe we have bad posture,’ Helen added. ‘Before coming to that conclusion though, it is a good idea to think about how you have always been shaped, as genetics, and how you were designed, plays a big role in posture.’

So, while we know that ‘good posture’ might mean something different for everyone, how do you even know if you have bad posture? Here are Helen’s five surefire signs you have bad posture – and what to do about it.

You’re always feeling stiff

A constant feeling of stiffness or tightness in your back, ‘often after sitting or standing for long periods of time’ is one of the most common symptoms of bad posture. But Helen has the antidote — and that’s moving!

‘Instead of sitting down for hours at a time and not changing your position because you think you are in the optimum position, regularly make small adjustments, or move your desk from sitting to standing,’ she says.

‘A phrase we use a lot is ‘motion is lotion’. Anyone who sits or stands in the same position for a long time will feel stiff and sore and their body will compensate so their posture will change.’

While these are all relatively short-term fixes, none of them can replace the longer-term solution of regular training.

‘Making sure your back muscles, legs and trunk are strong enough to support you in your day to day activates will help your posture,’ Helen adds. ‘Remember, if your muscles aren’t strong enough to keep you in a position, they won’t! And instead, we will move into that ‘permanently slouched position.’

You have lower-back pain

If you spend a lot of time sitting, it’s common for us to become weaker in our back, and we might feel our back muscles more during exercise.

‘The reality is that there are some huge muscles in your back, and we want to make sure that they are strong enough to hold you up against gravity,’ Helen explained.

But this isn’t just about lifting big weights. Body weight exercises like a Pilates dart or Pilates swimming can also help, as does increased mobility around your hips, pelvis and spine. This can be achieved through exercises like thread the needle or cat cow.

You have pain in your neck

If you have chronic neck pain, it is likely that the reason for this is straining your neck forward to look at the screen. But this could all be solved thanks to a simple eye test.

‘If you have an office based job where you are looking at screens a lot of the day, getting yearly eye checks is key to make sure you are not straining because your eyes are struggling to focus and getting tired,’ Helen told Metro.co.uk.

Having a sit-to-stand desk is also encouraged by Helen, as she explains how this ‘makes sure that you are moving more frequently rather than staying put in one place.’

Other key questions you should ask yourself is whether your desk set-up is comfortable, whether you’ve got the right size desk, and whether the number of screens are positioned well enough.

You always want to stretch or crack yourself

This is because you need more strength and are generally keeping yourself too still.

Again, Helen emphasises the benefits of moving ‘little and often,’ and getting more involved in strength-building activities like pilates to counteract this.

You are starting to get a hunchback

‘Imagine you sit at a desk all day, then go for long cycles on your road bike where you are leaning forwards, then do some sit ups when you get home to strengthen your core,’ Helen says.

‘All of these work your body in the same direction so strengthen the front, but do not balance out the back.’

Ideally, you should work to counteract things like a hunchback long before you identify certain signs and symptoms like a hunchback or a bump at the base of your neck.

But even if things are approaching this stage, that doesn’t mean all is lost.

‘Working to reverse these curves include mobility exercises as well as strength exercises and will take time, so you need to be patient,’ Helen notes.

What’s the secret to improving your posture?

Ultimately, when it comes to improving your posture, the remedy is simple. ‘Being stronger will help you with your posture, as will moving little and often rather than staying in the same position for a long time,’ Helen says.

‘Good posture is when your curves are all in their natural position so that all your muscles can function to their most efficient, and effective levels.’

‘It is also important to remember that in sitting, your spine is slightly straighter, and the curves are less,’ she added. ‘This means that if you notice a big curve in your lower back and you are trying to sit up straight, it is likely that you are over extending, rather than being in a good position.’

‘Touch the muscles in your lower back and if they are working really hard, then so are you!’

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The biggest key in ensuring your posture is protected is to keep moving.