Stand Up for Yourself!

Stand up straight! Shoulders back! Sound familiar? Growing up, most of us heard these words repeatedly from our parents. Or, maybe a schoolteacher encouraged you to practice good posture by walking around the classroom with a library book on your head. Well, guess what? It seems that Mom, Dad, and that teacher knew just what they were talking about.

Posture, which refers to the position in which you hold your body while standing, sitting, and walking, is actually far more important than you might imagine. Sometimes, people don’t realize its significance until they experience the myriad problems associated with poor posture. Over time, gravity continuously compresses the body. This can lead to poor posture if the body is not strong enough and flexible enough to withstand it, or if you are not aware of the ways in which you hold your body while standing, sitting, and walking.

While poor posture can be caused by weak muscles, lack of flexibility, and aging, more commonly it is due to slouching in a chair, regularly carrying a heavy purse or backpack on one side of the body, holding the head and/or neck forward or down while working, holding a phone between the neck and shoulder, or even sitting on a wallet in your back pocket! When these positions are repeated over prolonged periods of time, a host of problems can result, including neck and back pain, joint pain, arthritis, fatigue, headache, ineffective breathing, and increased risk of injury. The symptoms most commonly associated with poor posture include pain and stiffness in the muscles around the base of the neck and near the shoulder blades, which can also cause chronic headaches.

Proper posture, on the other hand, can make you look and feel younger, thinner, more confident, and more attractive. When bones and joints are in proper alignment, muscles are used more effectively. This reduces fatigue, as well as the risk of pain, injury, and arthritis. Good posture decreases stress on the ligaments and prevents strains and other problems associated with misuse and/or overuse.

To assess your posture, stand in front of a full-length mirror. Imagine a line passing from your earlobe to your shoulder, down to your hip, your knee, and your ankle. Is your spine straight and your neck relaxed?

If you aren’t sure how proper posture looks and feels, talk to your doctor, chiropractor, personal trainer, or physical therapist. These health care professionals can demonstrate proper alignment while sitting, standing, and walking. Proper posture and alignment in the workplace is particularly important if you have a sedentary job that requires repetitive motion. If your work station or office is uncomfortable, talk to your managers about ergonomic changes to promote and support good body mechanics.

Developing good posture may take some practice. In time, however, you can reverse poor habits and experience the energy and renewed vitality associated with proper posture. So, what are you waiting for? Stand up for yourself!
 

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