Is Nick Kyrgios the poster boy for posture to our next generation?

Watching the tennis, I can’t help but notice Nick’s posture is particularly different to most other tennis players. Yes I should be watching the tennis but my physiotherapist eyes drag me to his side profile and can’t help thinking his posture could be so much better. I do admit that he is a really good tennis player and I am not trying to criticise him. However, he walks with his head dropped more than most and when he stands or sits he has a much more curve to his upper back and neck. Could this be affecting his tennis I wonder? Could this expose him to potentially more injuries?

I look around in shopping centres and public places and yes my physiotherapist eyes are open and I see so many people who are aged 25 and under with similar postures to Nick. I really do blame the use of our phones and laptops that have really contributed to this generation. Yet, I take to the beaches and look at lifesaver postures or anyone else who are athletic tend to have straighter postures. This has supported my belief in the importance of physical activity and the need to get off our devices more.

If you have children who are on screens, please take care of their postures. Suggest to them to bring the phone up rather than constantly drag their head downwards to the screen. Even better, have their device sitting on something like a laptop raiser (like the one pictured by Logitech) or a pillow if on their phone for an extended period of time.

I believe that it will save them from fixed poor postures as they age. Yes, I believe these hunched back, poked neck, head down posture expose them to more chances of neck, back and shoulder pain. If you have an excessive curved upper back, your shoulders cannot reach up as high , but if your sport requires it, such as in swimming and tennis, then your rotator cuff tendons will be at a disadvantage, which increases the risk of tendon issues down the track. If you have a poked neck posture and especially with a head down posture, it can shorten the neck muscles and put more stress in the neck joints and increase the likelihood of headaches and other neck issues.

So the moral of the story is… straighten up, look up at the beautiful sky and the birds and the stars. Get off those screens a little more and you may save yourself pains and aches into the future!