Good Posture for Great Health
By Donna Stark
All of the people who pulled your shoulders back, tapped you on the head, or constantly yelled at you to straighten your back and fix your posture when you were young were absolutely right. And as much as you may have dismissed what they were saying at the time, you can’t continue to do so anymore. It’s true … and there’s no better time than the present to acknowledge just how important good posture is to our health. In fact, it’s just as important as eating well, getting adequate sleep, and exercising regularly. So sit up straight and read the rest of this blog.
Sit Up Straight
Good posture has a way of influencing other areas of our life as well. Let’s take a look at how it impacts our health.
- Keeps the body in correct alignment and encourages proper muscle function
- Decreases the risk of arthritis
- Decreases stress on the ligaments in the spine
- Prevents muscle fatigue
- Prevents overuse injuries
- Prevents backache and muscular pain
- Improves your appearance
It’s no surprise that poor posture often becomes second nature to us as our bad habits typically start off as insignificant behaviors. And because we never listened to our mothers when told to sit up straight, these habits quickly became embedded into our daily lives. Before we knew it, they were our body’s automatic go-to response, and unfortunately we are sure to end up paying for it years down the road with back, neck, and joint pain. But don’t despair, because we have the ability to make changes now and take control before the pain controls us in the future.
Easy Changes
You can improve your posture with a few lifestyle changes, so start taking note of how you hold and carry your body throughout the day and see where you can make some adjustments. Here are some suggestions on how you can improve your posture, one new habit at a time.
- Increase your body awareness and core strength with yoga
- Loosen stiff muscles with shoulder and chest stretches.
- Uncross your legs and sit with both feet on the floor
- Pull back your shoulder blades
- Get out of your chair and move every so often
- Focus on not slouching when sitting or standing
- Increase awareness of ergonomics in everyday settings
- Get chiropractic adjustments regularly
Are you ready to acknowledge that your posture has a tremendous impact on your health yet? Do you want to call your mom and tell her she was right all along? Well, I’m just kidding about calling your mom, but there is someone you should talk to if you are concerned about your posture. If you would like to find out how to improve it and understand more about how it can benefit your health, your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic can help with that. So come on in for a visit! Just remember to sit up straight on the drive over.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Tampa, Fla.