Posture is an important part of good health as well as eating right, exercising, getting a good night’s sleep and avoiding potentially harmful substances like alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Good posture is a way of doing things with more energy, less stress and fatigue, because it means your bones are properly aligned and your muscles, joints and ligaments can work as nature intended. It means your vital organs are in the right position and can function at peak efficiency and helps contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system.
Because the long-term effects of poor posture can affect bodily systems such as digestion, elimination, breathing, muscles, joints and ligaments, a person who has poor posture may often be tired or unable to work efficiently or move properly. Even for younger people, how you carry yourself when working or relaxing can have big effects.
Often poor posture develops because of accidents or falls and can also develop from environmental factors or bad habits. As we become a society that watches more television than any previous generation, as more people are working at sedentary desk jobs or sitting in front of a computer, as more cars are crowding our roads, resulting in accidents and injuries and as we drive in cars with poorly designed seats our posture becomes poor.
A lifetime of poor posture can:
- Limit your range of motion – muscles can be permanently shortened or stretched.
- Increase discomfort and pain – it can often cause headaches and pain in the shoulders, arms, hands and around the eyes.
- Decrease lung capacity – reducing the amount of oxygen in your body can decrease the space in your chest cavity, restricting efficient functioning of your lungs.
- Cause low back pain – one of the most common consequences of bad posture.
- Cause nerve interference – if your posture is bad, your spine can be misaligned, causing interference in nerve function.
- Affect proper bowel function – even this important bodily task may be affected by faulty posture.
- Make you look older than you are – when you are slumped over or hunched you can add years to your appearance. Any woman, no matter what her age, can help reduce the sag in her breasts by nearly 50% by simply standing tall.
Tips for good posture
- Try to keep your weight down as excess weight, especially around the middle pulls on the back weakening stomach muscles.
- Develop a regular program of exercise because it keeps you flexible and helps tone your muscles to support proper posture.
- Buy good bedding as a firm mattress will support the spine.
- Pay attention to injuries from bumps or falls as injuries in youth may cause growth abnormalities or postural adaptations to the injury or pain that can show up later in life.
- Have your eyes examined as a vision problem can affect the way you carry yourself.
- Be conscious of where you work, is your chair high enough to fit your desk? Do you need a footrest to keep pressure off your legs?
- Straighten Up and Stay Healthy!
What does perfect posture look like? Perfect standing posture is when your eyes, chin, collarbone, breastbone, pubic area and midpoint between your ankles are properly aligned. From the side, you can easily see the three natural curves in your back and from the front your shoulders, hips and knees are of equal height. Your head is held straight, not tilted or turned to one side and from the back the little bumps on your spine should be in a straight line down the centre of your back.
Improving your posture
When standing – hold your head high; chin firmly forward, shoulders back, chest out, and stomach tucked in to increase your balance. If you stand all day in a job rest one foot on a stool or take breaks to get off your feet for a while.
When sitting – use a chair with firm low back support. Keep desk or table top elbow high, adjust the chair or use a footrest to keep pressure off the back of the legs, and keep your knees a little higher than your hips. Get up and stretch frequently.
When working on a computer – take a one or two minute break every 20 minutes. Keep the screen 15 degrees below eye level.
When sitting in the car – adjust the seat forward so your knees are higher than your hips. Put a small pillow or cushion in the small of your back.
When sleeping – sleep on your side with your knees bent and head supported by a pillow, to make your head level with your spine. Or, sleep on your back, avoiding thick pillows under your head. Use a small pillow under your neck instead. Don’t sleep on your stomach.
When lifting – stand close to the object, then where possible squat down and straddle it. Grasp the object, and slowly lift the load by straightening your legs as you stand up. Carry the object close to your body.
When bending – never twist from the waist and bend forward at the same time. To lift or reach something on the floor, bend the knees while keeping the back straight.