Body Posture & Health

We’ve all heard it over and over again. Stand up straight and have better posture! I’ve been guilty of not having the best posture in my past. This has caused me to have a lot of back issues to deal with.

Good posture is important for a healthy back.  According to Cleveland Clinic, good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments.

Proper posture:

  • Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used properly.
  • Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis.
  • Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together.
  • Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions.
  • Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy.
  • Prevents strain or overuse problems.
  • Prevents backache and muscular pain.
  • Contributes to a good appearance.

(Source)

I’ve always been aware that proper posture is more visually appealing, however it wasn’t until recently that I learned that posture has an impact on how our body actually functions as well.

“Good posture is important to health. It is needed to keep the organs in place and to allow them to work efficiently and effectively. For example, if you have swayback, the intestines press against the floor of the abdominal cavity, instead of being held in place. This interferes with their normal work. If you have rounded shoulders and an excessively rounded upper back, there is constriction in the chest cage. Because of this, it becomes impossible to completely fill the lungs with air, which is vital in athletic performance and fitness activities.” – International Sports Sciences Association

I found this so interesting.  I never realized that my posture could have an effect on how efficient my organs are!  This will give me extra motivation to keep my shoulders back and stand up straight.

A few ways that you can improve your body posture are:

  • Sit with you butt all the way to the back of the chair, bring your shoulders back and sit up straight.
  • If you’re like me and sit at a desk for the majority of your day, set your chair to a lower height so it forces you to lean back and straighten your back  (This has been a lifesaver for me!).
  • Keep your feet flat on the floor (I’m not great at this rule, but it does help!)
  • Make sure to get up and walk around every 30 minutes.  The longer you sit in the same position, the more likely you are to develop bad posture.

Do you have any tricks to help improve posture?  If so, let’s hear them!!

3 thoughts on “Body Posture & Health”

  1. Love this post! Fitness is so much more than diet and exercise. When you practice correct posture, your body is in alignment with itself, which will positively impact body aches, headaches and fatigue to name a few. Yoga and Ballet, when practiced correctly, are two fitness genres that will greatly improve posture.

    Reply

Leave a Comment