This post: Help your teen stop slouching: 5 things that actually work

Written By: George Chiang

If your child is like most teenagers, they’ve become so accustomed to hunching over their desk, laptop, or cellphone that they don’t even know what good posture feels like.

The truth is, most teenagers rarely give thought to their posture throughout the day. But, they probably should. 

Your teen’s crummy posture (where the back and shoulders are rounded, the chest is compressed and the neck is bent forward) not only looks bad, but it can lead to a lot of unnecessary discomfort including tension and pain in their neck, upper back, lower back and shoulders. There are also a host of other health issues directly associated with slouching, including headaches, poor circulation, fatigue, poor digestion, and constricted nerves. One study even found that bad posture can negatively impact your mood and trigger anxiety and depression.

With so much information highlighting the short and long-term effects of slouching and poor posture, it’s concerning that slouching is prevalent in up to 65% of children and teens. But, let’s be honest, slouching can be a tough habit to break!

The good news is, that there are plenty of simple remedies that can alleviate pain and other side effects brought on by slouching simply by putting forth a little “ergonomic” effort. 

5 Things You Can Do to Help Your Teen Stop Slouching

1. Buy Them a Laptop Stand

If your child is like most teenagers, they’re spending hours upon hours a day on their laptop doing homework, watching YouTube videos, and surfing the net. And, with most kids now attending school virtually, the number of hours they’re spending on their laptops has increased even more.

One of the most important things you can do to help your child sit up straight and combat potential back issues is to invest in a laptop stand.

Laptops may be portable, but they’re also inherently less ergonomic than their desktop counterparts. A big part of the reason is the height of the screen that forces us to crane our necks when working on a laptop. A human head that weighs 12 pounds in an upright position triples in pressure with just a 30-degree forward tilt which is common when operating a laptop or mobile phone. 

A laptop stand fixes this by bringing the screen on a laptop to eye level, automatically correcting your teen’s entire upper body posture as they type away.

There are several types of laptop stands available depending on whether you want to prioritize portability, budget, or ergonomics. It’s also recommended that they use an external keyboard as well to help maintain a neutral wrist position once the laptop is docked.

2. Teach Them How to Carry a Backpack Properly

Backpacks are a necessary evil for teenagers, but when the load becomes too heavy compounded with carrying the backpack improperly, they can take a toll on your teen’s posture and spinal health, potentially leading to back pain and degenerative disc disease later in life.

Here are some backpack safety tips to keep your teen’s spine healthy:

• Don’t wear the backpack over just one shoulder. Your child will end up leaning forward on one side because of the uneven weight.
• Look for a backpack that has wide, padded adjustable straps, a waist belt, and lots of compartments to evenly distribute the weight. Laptops, books, and other heavy items should be placed in the backmost compartments.
• Adjust the straps so that the pack sits close to your teen’s back and doesn’t bump up against the lower back or buttocks when walking.
• Remind your teen to put their backpack down whenever they’re standing for long periods of time. An example is when they’re waiting for the school bus in the morning.
• Make sure that the backpack weight does not exceed 10% of your child’s weight. This means that if your teen is 105 pounds, the weight of his backpack shouldn’t exceed 10 pounds.

3. Encourage Them to Do Core Exercises

One of the best ways to help your teen stop slouching is to encourage them to strengthen their core. The core muscles, which include the abdominal, back, and hip muscles, help stabilize your spine and keep it in healthy alignment. In fact, Dr. Jordan Metzl calls core exercises “God’s gift to people with back pain.”

Workouts like yoga, pilates, and core fitness programs use slow, controlled movements to effectively target the core. Here are a couple of exercises you can teach your young adult to improve their posture.

Plank Pose

Out of all the exercises, planks are perhaps the easiest and most effective way to strengthen the core. It targets all the major muscles in the abdominal region and even the legs.

To perform a plank:

• Start on all fours.
• Get down on your forearms and suspend your body off the floor a few inches with your legs behind you and your toes tucked under.
• Pull your abs in and keep your entire head, back, and legs straight.
• Hold this position for at least 30 seconds, gradually increasing the time as you get stronger.

Show this video to your child to teach them how to do the plank.

Cobra Pose

The cobra pose is helpful in keeping the back muscles strong and flexible. Remind your teen not to overdo the backbend to avoid straining back.

• Lie on your stomach on the floor.
• Place your palms flat on the floor under your shoulders.
• Press the tops of your feet and thighs onto the floor.
• Exhale deeply and tighten your core.
• Lift your chest slowly using your back muscles, with the help of your straightened arms.
• Relax your neck muscles and keep your gaze on the floor.
• Hold this position for 10 seconds.
• Slowly return to your starting position.
• Repeat three or more times depending on how strong your back is.

Here’s a quick video that demonstrates the cobra pose.

4. Invest in a Good Ergonomic Chair

The term “ergonomic chair” is often misused and thrown around loosely. The real definition is just a comfortable chair that is also highly adjustable, allowing the person to customize the chair to maintain a good sitting posture more easily and with less fatigue.

To facilitate good sitting posture for your teen, look for an ergonomic chair with these core features:

• A backrest that both tilts and reclines – Look for a backrest that tilts (rocks) and reclines. Tilting helps encourage micro-movements as they sit while reclining helps take the pressure off the back periodically from sitting in an upright position for a long time.
• Adjustable lumbar support – Adjustable lumbar support is another must. Look for one that is at least height adjustable to target the area of your teen’s back that needs the most support to maintain good posture.
• Adjustable armrests – Look especially for those that pivot inwards to support the arms when typing.
• Waterfall edge seat – Seats that slope downward at the end of the seat help improve blood circulation in the thighs.

Depending on the chair you choose, an ergonomic chair can be pricey. However, it’s an expense that’s well worth it to keep your teen’s back healthy and strong.

5. Limit Time on iPhone (I KNOW This is a Tough One!)

Observe your children the next time they’re on their phone or gaming. Chances are, they’re positioned in the classic teen slump or slouch.

Of course, there are plenty of documented reasons why your teen should limit screen time, one often overlooked reason is the propensity to develop poor posture, back pain, and spinal health issues. 

If your teen is an avid gamer, spends hours scrolling through Instagram on their phone, or endures long hours on their laptop, help them stop slouching by encouraging them to take frequent breaks, strengthen their core, and strive to become more “mentally aware” of their posture.  When they’re on their phone, encourage them to raise their phone as opposed to bending their head to look down at the phone.  

With just a few lifestyle changes, your teen can rid themselves of back and neck pain and put themselves on a positive path to better posture and long-term spinal health.

About George Chiang

George is a certified ergonomist and senior editor at ErgonomicTrends.com. You can find him hitting the gym or the yoga studio when he’s not working hard at a cafe or coworking space.