Photo Courtesy of Barry L Marks, Chiropractor
If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say this, well, I’d have a lot of nickels. And they’re right, posture is really important – even more than I thought it to be, to be honest. Because of this, I consider it a prudent choice to do a bit of research on posture. What makes it so important? What are some of the repercussions of poor posture? And what are some corrective measures?
What makes Posture so Important
First, what makes posture so important? Let’s begin with what posture is. When having proper posture, you’ll have proper alignment and positioning of your back and body. As the Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCIO) explains, “Whether we are standing, sitting or lying down gravity exerts a force on our joints, ligaments and muscles. Good posture entails distributing the force of gravity through our body so no one structure is overstressed.”
Making sure no one part is overstressed is what makes posture so important.
When we have poor posture, it can lead to lower back pain. The more we overstress our lower backs – perhaps due to driving or sitting at a computer in a hunched over position – the more pain we will experience, either now or as we become older (like our poor friend in the picture above).
At the same time, however, we have to be vigilant with our posture while we are standing or exercising too. “Sitting and standing with proper postural alignment will allow one to work more efficiently with less fatigue and strain on your body’s ligaments and muscles,” according to SCIO. In other words, it’s just better to have proper poster (commonsensical, I know).
You might asking yourself how to avoid this, or how to fix it. Good questions.
How to Fix Bad Posture and Get in the Habit of Good Posture
Repair
First, you’ve got to be aware of your poor posture. How will you know? Well, that shooting pain in your back is one indicator. In addition to that, though, be conscious of how you sit when you sit, or how you stand when you stand. Consciously tell yourself to sit up straight! I can’t stress this point enough. If you’re looking for correction and longevity, conscious identification is step one.
Realignment
Next, you may decide to go to a chiropractor. Chiropractors are neck and spin experts, and finding the right chiropractor can help tremendously with posture. That said, you’ve got to find the right one! Rather than test each person out on yourself, ask around with friends and family and look for recommended practitioners. If you find a qualified expert, you will feel better and get useful guidance in pursuing a more ‘straight up’ lifestyle.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is also a great avenue to pursue. Reported by WebMD, Heinz Endres, MD, found that “Acupuncture represents a highly promising and effective treatment option for chronic back pain…Patients experienced not only reduced pain intensity, but also reported improvements in the disability that often results from back pain — and therefore in their quality of life.”
Yoga
Yoga is another great way to improve and strengthen your posture. Not only does yoga help strengthen your body as an whole, it also improves the flexibility of your body. As you move throughout your day, perhaps getting into some very awkward positions, your body will be able to respond well, maintaining good posture and not putting too much strain on any one area.
Plus, practicing yoga teaches you what good posture really is. This will, without a doubt, help you with posture on a daily basis.
Prevention
First, repeat step one from above: BE CONSCIOUS. This is really the most important step. Really. Ask yourself right now, do I have proper posture? Stand in front of a mirror and try to identify that natural double ‘C’ or ‘S’ curve. Evenly distribute your weight. You’ll probably feel taller.
Next, if you really need the help, you may consider getting some devices to help facilitate proper posture. Countless companies offer something of the like – a posture belt or control brace. Surf around the web for a bit to find yours and talk to your doctor or chiropractor for recommendations.
Sit up straight! You’re on your way to proper posture and better health!
April 13, 2011 at 8:41 pm
You forgot to mention a most important source of postural alignment, which is the therapy of Structural Integration!
May 27, 2011 at 7:14 pm
w/o proper posture, you compromise your ability to detox… leading to all sorts of (and maybe all) diseases.
December 27, 2011 at 2:20 pm
“Stand in front of a mirror and try to identify that natural double ‘C’ or ‘S’ curve.”, … ok, maybe I missed school that day, lol… what is “that natural double ‘C’ or ‘S’ curve?
December 27, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Our backs have a natural curve to them. Check out this image:
http://www.anatomy.tv/StudyGuides/images/spinecurvestest.jpg
You’ll see our natural Thoracic curve (a ‘C’), or our Cervical Curve and Lumbar curve (sort of like an ‘S’).
February 17, 2012 at 6:54 am
[...] your confidence will not be reflected from your personality. Let’s look at the reasons that correct posture is important and what exactly makes good [...]
May 17, 2013 at 2:35 am
Sitting up straight is very important. Everyone knows the good posture is very important for spine.
But it is really hard to keep the good posture. Because while sitting up straight , load on the spine is added. so people need something to release the load on the spine.