The Importance of Having a Good Posture
What Is Good Posture? , And Why Is It So Important?
Posture refers to the body's alignment and positioning with respect to the ever-present force of gravity.
Whether standing, sitting, or lying down, gravity exerts force on your joints, ligaments, and muscles.
Good posture entails distributing the force of gravity through your body so no structure gets overstressed.
Architects have to consider these same laws of gravity and weight distribution when they design buildings.
Like a building with a poor foundation, a body with poor posture is less resistant to the strains and stresses it experiences over the months, years, and decades of life.
You may have consciously attempted to fix your posture at one point or another, only to end up slouching again a few moments later.
Maintaining a good sitting posture can be challenging at first, especially when sitting becomes a part of normal daily activities such as watching television, browsing on your phone, working at your computer, or even spending time with friends. Although these activities seem harmless, when they are part of your daily routine, the accumulated time spent sitting puts unnecessary pressure on your spine.
Your body is meant to move and be active, so when you are sitting for long periods, you could be causing strain on your joints, ligaments, and muscles; this makes your spine more prone to injury, decreases your flexibility, and can even impact your digestion and breathing.
Prevention is the key to avoiding long-term effects.
To repeat an adage,
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Types of Posture
1. Healthy Posture
Good posture keeps your body and your spine in alignment.
When standing, your ears should be in line with your shoulders, spine, hips, pelvis, and ankles. When sitting, your feet should be flat on the ground, core muscles should be used to keep your shoulders upright, and your weight evenly distributed on both hips.
Note: Sitting with your legs crossed can result in misalignment of your hips and spine.
2. Flat Back
A flat back is frequently caused by a muscle imbalance that results in the spine being flatter than normal, without its natural curves.
Because the pelvis is tucked in, people with flat backs tend to stoop forward. They find it challenging to stand for extended periods, and often experience back and leg pain. Degenerating discs and compression fractures are often contributory causes of flat back.
3. Lordosis
Individuals with lordosis posture have an exaggerated lower back curve (often called a swayback), an increased neck curve, and often, increased pelvic tilt. Their stomach and head push forward, and their buttocks may protrude.
Common among pregnant women and truck drivers, lordosis posture puts strain on the lower back and can destabilize balance.
The problem can be caused or worsened by wearing high heels, sleeping on the stomach, pregnancy, obesity, or osteoporosis.
4. Kyphosis
Individuals with kyphosis postures have rounded shoulders with increased curves at the mid back and cervical spine (neck); this gives them a hunched appearance (hunchback) and compresses their chest.
Kyphosis posture may be caused by degenerative changes, muscle weakness, or compression fractures, all commonly associated with aging. Younger patients at risk for kyphosis posture are office workers, obese or extremely tall people, and people with large breasts.
5. Forward Head
As evident in its name, the forward head posture occurs when the head is positioned in front of the body’s midline, causing the ears to be out of alignment with the shoulders.
This posture frequently causes neck pain, stiffness, and sometimes an unbalanced gait. Contributing factors include excessive time spent at the computer or driving, carrying a heavy backpack, and sleeping with your head too elevated.
How to Improve Your Posture While Sitting
Maintaining a good sitting posture can be challenging, but it does not have to be painful. You can implement some small changes into your day to keep your body active.
Here are four tips to help with posture:
- Try setting a timer every hour to remind yourself to walk around and stretch.
- If your chair lacks lumbar support, place a small pillow between your lower back and your chair; this will provide you with lumbar back support and prevent you from slouching.
- Ensure that you are sitting with your feet flat on the floor and avoid crossing your legs, as this encourages your shoulders to round forward.
- Adjust the height of your screens to eye level, or slightly below, to help reduce muscular tension in your neck and back.
Proper Posture Boosts The Mood
When you think about factors that can improve your mood, posture is not the first thing that comes to mind.
Your brain and body have two-way communication, meaning that your mood can impact your posture, and your posture can affect your mood.
Ohio State researchers compared subjects who sat up straight to subjects who slumped and found that good posture was linked to higher confidence.
“What you are doing with your body affects how you react to your thoughts,” says Richard Petty, an Ohio State professor and one of the study’s co-authors.
Sitting up straight, also boosted study participants’ assuredness in their ideas.
Next time you feel down, try improving your mood by standing up straight and taking deep breaths.
Proper posture also helps with the following:
- Breathing: Proper posture allows your lungs to function optimally. Slouching compresses your chest and diaphragm, making it difficult to breathe deeply. Good posture promotes better lung function and oxygen intake.
- Digestion: Slouching or hunching over can compress your abdominal organs, potentially affecting digestion. Good posture can aid in proper digestion and reduce the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort.
- Appearance: Good posture can make you appear more confident and attractive. It can also help you avoid the appearance of a rounded back or hunched shoulders, which can be associated with aging.
- Preventing Injury: Maintaining proper posture during physical activities or exercise can reduce the risk of injury by placing your body in a biomechanically advantageous position.
Being Proactive About Your Posture
Only a small percentage of the population has healthy posture.
Whether you are presently experiencing pain or not, if you recognize your posture as being unhealthy according to the above information, it is wise to start improving your posture now — before it leads to problems.
I have been consciously maintaining good posture for a month and plan to continue doing so for the rest of my life.
I hope you found this article as helpful as I did.
Wishing you all the best, Take care.
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