Proper Posture

Your posture has a major impact not only on your appearance, but your overall health as well.  People with poor posture are more likely to suffer from back pain, neck pain, headaches or other discomforts due to spinal misalignment, muscle imbalance and poor circulation.  In fact, Hippocrates, the Father of modern Medicine, said, “Look to the spine for the cause of disease.”

Your postural habits begin in childhood, and as you grow, gravitational forces can take their toll on your joints and skeletal alignment.  Maintaining proper posture while sitting, standing and engaging in athletic activities is of key importance.  As you age, the discs in your spine begin to compress and dehydrate while the curves in your back may become exaggerated, such as a Dowager’s hump (kyphosis) or swayback (hyperlordosis). We may or may not have health insurance,  but maintaining a proper posture surely brings benefits as we age.  If you don’t actively take care of your spine and muscles you could, as you grow older, progress towards a permanent slouch.

A number of factors can contribute to poor posture.  Sitting or standing in one position all day can lead to postural overload and chronic shortening of specific muscles.  Being overweight will shift the forces in your spine and joints, potentially leading to accelerated degeneration.  Poor footwear, such as wearing high heels or shoes with flat arches, will alter your low back biomechanics. Fatigue is another factor which will contribute to weak and tired muscles, leading to slouching.

These factors can be dealt with, however.  Exercise and common sense will help.  Strategies include:

1) regular exercise, particularly walking, swimming or aqua aerobics

2) changing the angle of your chair or car seat to help maintain a normal                       lumbar curve

3) avoiding activities which tend to cause prolonged bending or hunching                     forward

4) avoiding sitting for more than 30 minutes without taking a break.  Get up,                 stretch or walk around for a few moments

5) losing that extra weight, particularly around the middle.  This will help                      reduce the pressure on the vertebral discs

6) reducing the risk of osteoporosis with regular weight-bearing exercise and     a diet that includes adequate amounts of calcium and magnesium

Finally, in order to maintain good posture, you must be conscious of how you’re standing, sitting and moving about.  The little bit of effort you now use to stay balanced will go a long way in keeping you upright and healthy for years to come.

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