September 6 is #ReadABookDay. What are you reading right now?
Healthy reading habits
There are three things that lead to a good book: Good posture, good vision, and good writing. Only one of these comes from the author. The other two are up to you.
Good posture and lighting will prevent eye strain and fatigue. “Reading posture is very important in order to ensure a healthy, painfree spine,” said Dr. Amanda Braden of Tallmadge Chiropractic. “When sitting in a slumped position, we are placing excessive stress on the disc spaces of the lower back also known as the lumbar spine. We must also take care to not have our reading materials in a position that causes our neck to look down for an extended period of time. For every inch forward our head moves, there is an additional 10 pounds of stress placed on the cervical spine, or the neck.”
Dr. B’s tips for healthy reading posture:
If sitting in a chair
Comfortably support the lumbar spine with a small pillow or rolled up blanket.
Keep both feet flat on the floor to prevent shifting of the pelvis to reduce stress on the hips.
Prop your reading materials to eye level.
When reading in bed
Prop pillows up behind you and sit to keep a neutral spine.
If your arms become tired, place extra pillows on your lap to hold your materials.
If you want to lie on your back when reading, make sure your pillow is not too full causing your chin to rest on your chest.
Keep a pillow under knees for support.
Make sure reading materials are at a level that does not cause you to lean forward.
Learn more from Dr. B and Tallmadge Chiropractic online on Instagram and Facebook. We dare you to join their #SquatChallenge!
5 Books with bespectacled Characters
Superman: Comic books also count. #Superman, the greatest, and most recognizable superhero needed only one thing to disguise himself: a pair of glasses. Every superhero needs a good alter ego. Clark Kent starts the trend of characters hiding identities behind thick horn rims.
Junie B. Jones: This popular children’s book aimed makes it OK to wear glasses and feel comfortable in them. #JunieBJones taught girls of the 90s how to be themselves.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: this book turned movie has one memorable character: George Smiley. In the novels, he is overweight and poorly dressed. In the movie, he is Gary Oldman. But one thing is consistent: His very thick, very large glasses, which he routinely cleans with his tie.
Harry Potter: Oh come on, you knew #HarryPotter would make the list! Not only does Harry wear the classic round frames (yes, they are in style, come try them on!), but Albus Dumbledore, Rita Skeeter, Professor McGonagall, and Luna Lovegood even wear glasses. We’re counting Luna’s Spectrespecs as eyewear because we would wear them in the Muggle world.
Moon Girl: We can’t have #DC without having #Marvel, so we must include Moon Girl, a superhero who wears her glasses all the time, not just as a disguise. She is the smartest person in the whole world; take that, Tony Stark.
How to make your reading more comfortable
When reading, have your book or e-reader 16-inches away from you (adjust this distance for visual comfort). Make sure your reading area is well-lit. Dim lighting can cause your eyes to squint and strain to see the page, which can cause eye fatigue and headaches. If you read an e-reader or a tablet, avoid excessive #bluelight by using a blue light filter or wearing glasses with a blue light blocking anti-reflective treatment.
Single vision readers or progressive lenses: Progressive lenses allow you to see multiple viewing points within one pair of glasses: distance, computer, and near. Wearing progressive lenses will alleviate eyestrain. Prescription single vision or over the counter single vision readers are great to prevent eye fatigue while reading or doing other near work tasks.
Clean glasses: Clean lenses mean a distortion free and distraction free reading session for your eyes. Use glasses cleaner and a cleaning cloth.
Anti-glare treatment: This will help reduce glare and eye fatigue. A blue-light blocking anti-glare treatment like Recharge EX3 will filter harmful blue light from back-lit screens (like tablets and computers) and will help reduce computer vision syndrome, digital eye strain, and eye fatigue.
Good posture, good lighting, and good eyewear can make reading a good book even better!
Let us know in the comments: Are there any characters we didn’t mention known for their glasses? What’s on your reading list?