The Power of Proper Posture

The Importance of Proper Posture

A Test: Sit up straight (or stand) tall and take a deep breath… Now let it out…Notice what it feels like and how deep you are able to breathe.

Now, slouch in your seat so that your chin is resting on your chest, and your back is all hunched over. Try to take a deep breath again… notice the difference.

This test demonstrates how much of a difference correct, upright proper posture has on your ability to breathe.

Posture Affects your Health:

Respiratory/ breathing difficulties impact your daily life and functional ability. These then affect your posture and spinal stabilization. (Stay tuned for next month’s Facebook Live all about breathing and breathing techniques!) Pain and dysfunctional movement patterns all stem from poor posture affecting your breathing.

Posture Affects your Smarts:

A Study from the University of Aukland, New Zealand looked at the effects of upright posture compared to slouched posture on young people’s resilience to cope with a stressful reading task! The study showed that people who held a good upright posture could cope with the stressful task much better than those who were in a slouched position. It also affected their confidence, moods, and fears! Posture holds so much power!

Forward Head Posture:

You’ve most likely heard the phrase “Tech Neck” aka the poor posture that spending too much time on our devices create. Children are displaying this poor posture more as the years pass. The head weighs about 8 pounds on average, and so when we lean forward, more and more force is put on the spine. In proper posture, the head should sit on top of the spine with a natural curve in the neck. When we look down, this curve reverses and straightens, pushing the head forward. This is where neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, back pain, and other issues can stem from. Your ears should line up with your shoulder from the profile view.

What Does Poor Posture Mean?

Every musculoskeletal problem is at some level a neurological problem. Neurology of your brain dictates movement, structure, and function of your posture. Your posture oversees every single movement you make! It is so important to treat the body as a whole versus focusing on end organ dysfunction where the pain/ injury stems from.

The Purpose of the Brain is to Make Refined Movement.

If you think about it, standing and walking upright is the most sophisticated and complex movement on earth.

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