Where Do You Stand on Good Posture?
If you look around you will probably see all sorts of standing postures. Someone in yoga class may be standing perfectly straight in the Mountain Pose. Someone waiting for a friend on the curb may be leaning against a pole. Someone attending a meeting will be standing up straight and smiling.
The American Chiropractic Association gives us an overview of the subject. We recognize poor posture when we see it formed as a result of bad habits carried out over years and evident in many adults. But only few people have a real grasp of the importance and necessity of good posture.
Why is good posture important?
Good posture helps us stand, walk, sit, and lie in positions that place the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement and weight-bearing activities. Correct posture helps us keep bones and joints in correct alignment so that our muscles are used correctly, decreasing the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in degenerative arthritis and joint pain.
Good posture reduces the stress on the ligaments holding the spinal joints together, minimizing the likelihood of injury. It allows muscles to work more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy and, therefore, preventing muscle fatigue.
Good posture helps prevent muscle strain, overuse disorders, and even back and muscular pain. Several factors contribute to poor posture-most commonly, stress, obesity, pregnancy, weak postural muscles, abnormally tight muscles, and high-heeled shoes. In addition, decreased flexibility, a poor work environment, incorrect working posture, and unhealthy sitting and standing habits can also contribute to poor body positioning.
How to stand properly
Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.
Keep your knees slightly bent.
Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.
Let your arms hang naturally down the sides of the body.
Stand straight and tall with your shoulders pulled backward.
Tuck your stomach in.
Keep your head level-your earlobes should be in line with your shoulders. Do not push your head forward, backward, or to the side.
Shift your weight from your toes to your heels, or one foot to the other, if you have to stand for a long time.
If you suspect your posture needs more improving or you are having twinges of pain see your chiropractor for assistance.
Visiting the Chiropractor
Chiropractors believe wellness and routine chiropractic care should be as basic to our lives as healthy diets and daily exercise. They offer the purest form of chiropractic care, providing full spinal adjustments using the diversified technique to check for subluxations, which are misalignments of the spine.
Subluxations are misalignments of one or more vertebrae in the spine and/or joints. When the misalignment is corrected it may have far reaching effects on back, neck and sciatica pain. It may also help with allergies, TMJ, arthritis, headaches and migraines. As a wellness clinic the chiropractic focus is on daily stresses, aches and pain without use of medications or surgery.
I have known many friends and relatives who have found this simple, direct chiropractic treatment to be the best way to maintain wellness.
If this direct focus on chiropractic wellness sounds just as great to you as it does to majority of the people in the U.S., make an appointment and find out more.
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