Listen to Your Mom and Sit up Straight!

By Donna Stark 

Being told to sit up straight is probably something you have heard from the beginning of your childhood. And while it may have annoyed you back then, I'm sure you can appreciate the reminder today. Because now that you are an adult, you are starting to feel the consequences of all those times you ignored your mother's or your teacher's command. Now you understand that they weren't just saying it to give you something to grumble about. They were simply trying to help you avoid the pain that you are feeling today.

The Importance of Sitting With Good Posture

The way you carry and position your body throughout the day can be a good indicator of how good your overall health is. And since we spend so many hours of our day sitting, it's fair to assume that poor sitting posture is the body's No. 1 enemy. When you sit with bad posture, you can count on excess stress and strain being placed on your spine, joints, muscles, and ligaments, but if you sit up straight, the body can remain in proper alignment and most, if not all, of those issues can be avoided. Let's take a look at how good sitting posture can improve your overall wellness.

Decreases the Risk of Pain

If you are like my daughter, you tend to believe that poor posture is more comfortable than sitting up tall and straight. I think most of us feel that way too, but it's important to understand that although it feels OK in the moment, the damage that it will cause over time will most definitely not feel OK. Poor sitting posture can cause anatomical changes in your spine which can lead to back pain caused by problems with your muscles, discs, and joints.

Decreases the Risk of Injuries

In addition to placing a tremendous amount of stress on the spine itself, sitting with poor posture can also limit the spine's ability to support the function of other parts of the body. It can throw the body's balance off which can lead to joint dysfunction in the knees, hips, shoulders, and neck, and could very well lead to future injuries.

Decreases the Risk of Headaches

There are many things that can trigger a mind-numbing headache, but did you know that your posture while sitting could be one of the biggest? Headaches that originate in the neck and radiate upward (cervicogenic headaches) can be relieved by focusing on and improving your posture.

Straighten Up for Good Health

Sitting with good posture can feel unnatural if you have been avoiding it for years and it may take some time to get used to, but don't let that deter you from doing so! Make your mom, and your body, happy by choosing to sit up straight starting today!

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Franklin, Tenn.