Your Posture Can Impact Your Health
By Tom Herrin
Your mother may have frequently told you to sit up straight, quit slouching, or hold your head up. She probably gave you all kinds of good reasons. Did you ever really listen, or was that something you thought of as more lip service? You may have temporarily corrected it only to return to your previous position as soon as she was out of sight. As was often the case, this was another time your mother may have been right. Posture can improve, or wreck, your health in a variety of ways. Correcting it can prove to be one of the best health decisions you can make.
The Obvious Problems With Poor Posture
That "bent over" look while standing, or slumping down in a chair, are pretty standard signs of poor posture. Both can cause discomfort in the visible areas. Many people complain about back pain as a result of poor sitting habits. Just sliding your back against the back of the chair can help a lot. Neck discomfort, or even headaches, are other potential problems.
There Are Some Unseen Problems
There are many other things that can result that are far less apparent. In an article entitled “The Perfect Posture Workout” from Shape magazine, Jeanine Detz stated that poor posture can appear to show increased obesity and “causes neck and back pain, decreases oxygen flow to your muscles, and reduces flexibility, upping your risk of injury.” How many people think about oxygen supply when they think about posture? Probably very few, but it is a very real area of concern. Many would misidentify that as a cause of an oxygen supply.
Posture Can Be Improved
I really like some simple things for correcting bad posture. I am a big fan of the stability ball. Some people advocate laying across it while performing various other tasks. I find that simply sitting on one for short periods of time can produce results. You are unconsciously forced to balance yourself. This helps in a low-stress manner to strengthen parts of your core. You will be surprised just how much you can change with this. Try sitting on it while watching TV or reading. Several other reasonably low-stress activities done regularly can help to make the change you desire. So sit up straight, quit slouching, and hold your head up. You might be amazed at how much better you will feel and how your confidence will increase. Your mother really knew what she was talking about.