Dicom Inside Health: The Importance of Good Posture

Good posture isn’t just how you carry yourself or your stance, it affects how energetic you feel, how well your internal organs function and how healthy your ligaments and muscles are.

When your body is perfectly aligned, or has good posture, the weight and the force of gravity is distributed evenly throughout your body. Proper alignment includes your head sitting on top of your body, not protruding forward, your ears should line up with your shoulders; your shoulders are back inline with your torso and your body weight is balanced over both your spine and the joints of your lower extremities.

The biggest toll that modern life has put on our posture is the growing amount of people working in offices, at desks and on computers. Throughout the day our body moves into an arc, following the center of interest, usually a computer. Our bodies fall out of alignment, putting stress on the muscles, straining the neck, shoulders and lower back in particular. In the short run, this tires muscles and ligaments, causing pain and soreness. In the long run, besides chronic pain in the neck and back, poor posture can cause limited range of motion, decreased lung capacity, increased bowel issues and permanent damage to the curvature of the spine.

Sit Up Straight

There are simple things that you can do to improve your posture, while you’re standing or sitting and even while you sleep. A mattress with firm support of your lumber and spine will help you get a good night’s sleep as well as help to keep your body supported while you sleep. When working at a desk, make sure that it is at elbow height and that the computer is 15˚ below eye level. You can use a foot rest to take pressure off of your back, raising your legs slightly above your hips. Take breaks frequently to get up and walk around and stretch.

Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly will also help you to retain good posture. Excess weight, especially in the middle, puts stress on the spine and weakens stomach muscles. Strengthening your abdominal muscles helps to take stress off of your spine and lower back as well as helping to hold your spine in the proper position. Lastly, pay close attention to your body if you fall or injure yourself. You need to allow your body to heal, without undue strain. If you do not allow proper healing, the injury can be made worse, healing can be prolonged or other parts of your body can be affected by overcompensation.

Good posture should be a priority for everyone. Those with good posture feel more energy, less stress and are less prone to injury. With Americans more focused on healthy living and being physically fit – posture should definitely be integrated into any health plan.