May is Correct Posture Month. While that might sound like something your parents might have lectured you about when you were younger, good posture has a lot of benefits. Maintaining good posture is also one of the easiest and cheapest changes you can do to improve your health.
Why Does Good Posture Matter?
Modern American life has become extremely sedentary. Office work, commuting, watching TV, playing video games, reading, etc. all involve a lot of sitting and not enough movement. Worse, we frequently slouch while sitting.
Bad Posture Has a Profound Negative Effect On Your Health
Besides the obvious back problems poor posture causes, the other negative effects on your health include:
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Headaches
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Jaw pain
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Digestive problems
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Shallow breathing
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Circulation issues
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Increase wear and tear on the joints
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Muscle problems
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Arthritis
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And more
Benefits of Good Posture
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Improves appearance and height
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Decreases fatigue
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Prevents back pain, muscle pain, and strains
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Better circulation
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Enhances digestion
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Relieves arthritis pain
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Lessens joint wear and tear
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Helps with proper breathing
Fortunately, bad posture is easy to correct. All it takes is some conscious awareness and discipline until good posture becomes a habit.
How to Stand with Good Posture
Stand with your shoulders back, your head up, and stomach pulled in. That said, don’t be extreme. The need for excessively stiff straight posture is a myth. You can find more tips on how to create proper standing posture and correct sitting posture here.
How to Sit with Good Posture
Keep your buttocks against the back of the seat with your legs bent 90 degrees perpendicular to the floor with feet flat on the floor and weight balanced between both legs. If you’re at a table or desk, you can rest your elbows or forearms on the surface to remove pressure from your shoulders. Also, get up and walk around about every 30 minutes. Bodies are meant to move so sitting too much causes strain. It’s also perfectly fine to use chair supports to help you maintain correct sitting posture.
When working to improve your posture, some easy exercises to align your spine will help. Other easy exercises to improve your posture, like the shoulder squeeze, child’s pose, and bridge, are also beneficial. Plank exercises are also good for building core muscle strength, which also helps to maintain good posture, and these six exercises and these 10 exercises both help alleviate back pain and help enhance good posture.
Talk to Total Chiropractic Care and Wellness
If you want to maintain good health for sports – or need help recovering from a sports injury – chiropractic care can help, contact us at Total Chiropractic Care. You will receive a comprehensive evaluation to determine if it’s the right solution for your needs and when. Dr. Goldman creates treatment plans that incorporate pain management services as well as general lifestyle recommendations to help you live the best life you can. Contact us today.