Your posture is the foundation for every move your body makes. If you have poor posture, your muscles will have to work harder when faced with the everyday stresses of life. On the other hand, with good posture you will keep your muscles strong enough to support your body with little effort.
Everyday Stresses of Life on Your Body
We are constantly putting our body through everyday stresses in life. For example, our body is stressed when we carry any amount of weight, sit in an awkward position, or simply stand up and work against gravity. Your posture will determine how well your body can handle these stresses over time.
Causes of Poor Posture
Technology is a major cause of poor posture. For example, mobile devices cause us to be constantly looking down. Sitting for long periods of time in front of a computer screen can contribute to bad posture as well. Recent studies have shown that with all this new technology, our posture is getting worse.
What Poor Posture Does to Your Body
Poor posture causes our muscles to work harder to deal with the everyday stresses we put on our body. Eventually, our muscles, joints, and ligaments will become tight and inflexible. This increases the likelihood of injuries and makes it harder for our lungs to breathe. Studies have shown that poor posture can lead to scoliosis, tension headaches, back pain, sensitivity to pain, and even influence our emotional state.
What Does Good Posture Look Like?
Good posture is standing up and sitting up straight. When standing up, your vertebrae should look like it’s in a straight line when looking at you from the front or the back. When looking at you from the side, your spine should have a curve at your neck, shoulders, and the small of your back. Standing up straight helps you absorb the stress of walking and jumping and creates a center of gravity over your base. This allows you to move around with the least amount of muscle strength and keeps you from becoming easily fatigued. When sitting, keep your head up, shoulders relaxed, and arms close to your sides. Your knees should be kept at a right angle with your feet flat on the floor.
Redesign Your Environment
If you have bad posture because of your habits or use of technology, you should redesign your environment to promote good posture. For example, raise your computer screen to around eye level when sitting up straight. Raise your armrests on your chair to support your arms and wrists. Try sleeping on your side with your neck supported by a pillow and another pillow between your legs. Where low heels with arch support and use a headset for phone calls. Backpacks should be in close contact with your back and carried straight up and down. You also need to exercise and keep your muscles and joints moving. Staying “stationary for long periods with good posture can be worse than regular movement with bad posture.”
Your posture is central to how your body operates over time. Poor posture can cause health issues in years to come. By doing little things to improve your posture now, you can make yourself feel better and save yourself a lot of health problems in the future.
