Side Effects of Bad Posture (Beyond Appearance)
By Alexis Mills
Growing up my mom was always telling me to "keep my shoulders back" and "to stand up straight" when I was young. As a young girl I didn't understand why my mom was always reminding me about my posture, but she told me that standing up straight shows the kind of person you are to the world. It shows you care and are confident in who you are. As I grew older, I realized that having bad posture has surprisingly bad effects on overall health. Turns out as usual, mom was right.
Side Effects of Bad Posture
- Headaches - Spinal posture goes up through the neck. When you have poor posture, it creates tight neck muscles that can shoot that pain to the head, creating headaches.
- Sleep problems - Poor posture has the ability to affect our quality of sleep. If our body is not aligned properly it effects our ability to fully relax into our best sleep.
- Less motivation - Through research, people who are slumped over their desks with poor posture showed less focus and confidence. People with better posture look more approachable and comfortable in their own skin.
- Workout recovery issues - Poor posture puts more pressure on muscles and joints, which leads to more pain and soreness after working out.
- Shoulder and back pain - Since our posture stems through our spine, stretching throughout our back, when it isn't properly aligned it creates strain in different places.
- Fatigue - Having poor posture puts more stress on muscles and joints which makes them overworked and fatigued. Poor Posture has effects on your energy level by becoming fatigued more quickly.
- Poor circulation - If you are sitting for most of your day with bad posture it prevents the body from receiving the necessary circulation. Taking breaks and time to move throughout the day helps with posture and also help prevent health issues.
- Breathing efficacy - Poor posture and spinal misalignment can affect the diaphragm from having the proper amount of space to release and contract for each breath. Full, deep breaths are what help promote a healthy body, mind and heart.
Luckily, there are many things that we can all do to help our posture and spine health. Start by making an appointment at your local Joint Chiropractic and see how a chiropractor can get you on track to take control of your posture and spine health.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Rockford, Ill.