The Importance of Posture

24 Mar The Importance of Posture

Good Posture. Whether it was your mother yelling at you to stop slouching or a trainer discussing the importance of posture during exercise, we have all had a lecture on it. But what does good posture actually mean, and is it really that important?

In a short answer, yes. Good posture is extremely important to your overall health and fitness. Poor Posture can affect your entire body, how you feel, and the types of pain you have. Also, poor posture affects how many of your organs function by applying stress to them.

Poor Posture Factors:
Poor posture can result from a number of different factors, and it does not always indicate laziness. Some factors that lead to poor posture include obesity, pregnancy, poor sitting and standing habits, inflexibility, and weakness in joints or muscles. Also, a factor that affects so many people is an ergonomically incorrect workplace. Many people suffer from poor posture due to previous injuries to the neck, back, or shoulders. Injuries include those from high school or college sports or even car accidents. Scar tissue forms creating tension and stress in the muscles leading to poor posture.

So many things we do in our daily lives affect our posture and in turn affect our health. For example, many men sit with their wallets in their back pockets, which leads to incorrect sitting posture. Other factors include holding the neck too far forward or down, slouching or hunching shoulders, cradling a phone between shoulder and neck, slouching forward while sitting, arching the back too much, and tilting the head forward while texting. Everyone is guilty of doing at least one of these things, especially leaning forward while texting.

Effects of Good Posture:
Good posture can relieve, eliminate, and prevent pain in the neck, shoulders, head, and lower back. Also, good posture has been shown to relieve muscle strain and carpal tunnel syndrome, which results from chronically holding the body in an unnatural position. Good posture can also help with the strain that poor posture puts on joints, which helps to prevent conditions like arthritis and other joint conditions.

Good posture does not just affect the joints and muscles, but it has an effect on the entire body. Good posture actually gives you an energy boost by reducing the amount of work your muscles must perform as well as the amount of strain poor posture applies to them. By sitting and standing properly, the amount of tension and stress placed on the torso and in turn those organs, including the lungs, stomach, heart, and intestines, is significantly reduced which may improve circulation, breathing, and digestion.

For tips on improving your posture, read our next blog. If you have questions or comments, call Cory at Pro Physical Therapy at 662-282-4949.