At some point in our lives, there's a good chance we've all been told to stop slouching.
Whether from your doctor or your Aunt Becky, you've probably been reminded that bad posture is indicative of poor manners at best, and can lead to all sorts of maladies, from back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome, to a rotten mood, at worst.
You might have shrugged it off (so to speak), dismissing this advice as something akin to, "Cut your hair, I can't see your face!" Or, yet another piece of advice from your doc to add to your to-do list, like, "Eat better, and get more exercise."
But not so fast. As it turns out, good posture really does have some important health benefits, both physical and psychological.
Benefits of Good Posture
I'm sort of a glass-half-full person, so let's start with the good news. There are many health advantages of proper posture, some of which might surprise you.
When you work at correcting that slouch, you strengthen your core muscles, ensure proper alignment of your spine from head to toe, and maintain balance.
Having a good balance leads to stronger muscles in your whole body, which can keep you healthier longer.
It enables you to get the most out of your exercise or workout regimen and makes you better at whatever happens to be your sport of choice, from tennis to running.
And not to get too ahead of ourselves here, but a strong core and good balance can stave off falling and breaking a hip.
Good posture can also lead to a better mood and higher self-esteem. A recent study took it a little further, showing that sitting up straight can even relieve symptoms of depression.
Good posture, for those out of the 61 participants tested who practiced it, resulted in higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and fewer feelings of fear when completing something stressful.
Effects of Poor Posture
Still not convinced? Let's examine some of the ill effects of the inability to stand up straight. Slouching can cause physical pain in your back and neck, which can actually lead to long-term chronic pain.
Especially if you spend a lot of time sitting in a chair or standing in one place, bad posture can wreak havoc on your joints, muscles, and tendons.
Your muscles have memory, so the longer you keep your body in a sub-optimal position (read: slouching), the more it "learns" to stay that way.
Weakening the muscles that keep your head, neck, and chin aligned to your spine, hips, and legs, leads to pain, increased medical bills, lack of motivation, depression, and even higher job absenteeism.
Symptoms of Poor Posture
So, how bad is bad? How can you tell if you have poor posture, really? One of the many disadvantages of bad posture is that it can happen slowly and gradually over time in such a way that you don't even notice it.
In short order, slouching can become your body's normal, so that pain and negativity can creep in and take hold before you even realize it's happening.
Start by assessing your physical and mental state. Look in the mirror at the gym or in your bathroom. Are your shoulders rounded? Does your head tilt slightly forward?
These are good places to start. If yes, you could likely stand to work on that alignment.
Other physical indications that your posture isn't up to snuff are a tummy pooch and a slight bend in your knees when you walk or stand.
More traumatic symptoms that you might have and wonder at the cause of are headaches, back or neck aches, generalized, non-specific aches and pains in your body, and fatigue.
An alarming number of Americans suffer from back pain—eighty percent of us to be exact.
Back pain disrupts our normal, everyday activities, lowers our quality of life, and increases medical bills.
Taking Action
Working on your posture is a healthy move towards gaining better overall health and wellness for your whole body and mind. So, how can you correct bad posture?
There are several things you can do once you've taken the first step in observing your physical body and mental state and identifying the symptoms.
You can see a chiropractor for alignment adjustments or a physical therapist, who can help you with proper posture when sitting, standing, walking, or exercising.
A physical therapist can also give you corrective exercises to do if your posture needs more than training, but correcting and adjusting.
These exercises can help retrain your muscles so that over time, good posture becomes not only a habit but normal behavior.
Investing in a home massage chair can improve your posture. Massage chair technology has made significant strides over the past few years, and the roller and track engineering can deliver the types of massage that have gained pace with hands-on massage, delivering the same health benefits.
Deep tissue types of massage, such as Shiatsu and Swedish keep your muscles loose, enabling you to strengthen them and maintain proper alignment and posture.
Disadvantages of Bad Posture
Bad posture makes people look unpleasant, uglier, and less attractive. Poor posture brings about back pain and stiffness that can sometimes cause long-term problems. Your core muscles are vital to your well-being as they maintain the strength and flexibility of the back. Bad posture can cause tightness in these muscles, and therefore be the cause of pain. Other debilitating effects of bad posture include the risks of wear and tear and injury. When your shoulders are slumped down the front of your body, it causes neck and shoulder pain. Disproportionate spinal curvature, including the rounded shoulders, may cause pressure on the spinal discs, leading to compression and nerve root irritation, and subsequent numbness or tingling.
Conclusion
No matter what path you choose to work on improving your posture, whether it's a massage chair for your home, office, or creative space; a regular visit to a chiropractor or physical therapist; mindful exercise and corrective measures; or a combination of all or some of those things, ensuring you correct and maintain good posture will enable you to reap many physical and mental rewards for years to come.