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Guide to Good Posture

Many people develop poor posture due to holding a position for long periods, such as sitting at a desk all day. 

As a result, poor posture leads to chronic pain and, as a result, poorer quality of life.

In this blog, we’ll look at the following questions: 

Good Posture vs. Poor Posture

Posture is based on the state of one’s spine. Good posture composes a neutral spine with proper alignment of the muscles, joints, and ligaments. This reduces the amount of stress on the spine. Poor posture due to misalignment of the muscles, joints, and ligaments can result in mild to severe complications such as poor balance and strain on the muscle groups.

What is the Best Way to Evaluate Your Posture?

Mayo Clinic suggests the wall test for determining if you have good or poor posture. 

For this test, perform the following steps:

  1. Stand with your head, shoulder blades, and buttocks touching a wall.
  2. Have your heels about 2 to 4 inches away from the wall.
  3. Slide your hand behind the curve in your lower back, with your palm flat against the wall.
  4. For good posture, you’ll feel about one hand’s thickness of space between your back and the wall.
  5. If there’s too much space, tighten your abdominal muscles to flatten the curve in your back.
  6. If there’s too little space, arch your back so that your hand fits comfortably behind you. 
  7. Walk away from the wall while maintaining this posture. Keeps this posture throughout your daily activities.

What Should Good Posture Feel Like?

Good posture is more than a matter of appearance. There are physical signs that you have maintained good posture. Your spine and back should feel relaxed with no pressure or pain due to strain.

While it may sound strenuous, maintaining proper posture throughout the day relieves pressure on the spine and muscles. You shouldn’t feel tense or like you’re forcing your back into an uncomfortable position.

What are the Symptoms of Poor Posture?

While the absence of pain and strain indicates good posture, there are also signs of poor posture you can look for. 

These include the following:

  • Back, shoulder, and neck pain
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Digestive problems
  • Poor circulation
  • Rounded shoulders
  • Muscle fatigue and tension
  • Headaches
  • Head that leans forward or backward
  • Protruding stomach
  • Tight pectoral muscles
  • Hunched back
  • Tilted pelvis

While other problems and conditions encompass these symptoms, they’re a clear indication of poor posture. Using tools such as the wall test can further confirm the presence of misalignment in the spine.

What Causes Poor Posture?

The main culprit of poor posture comes down to changes in your spine’s shape. 

The spine’s shape can alter due to several reasons, including the following:

  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Excessive slouching (especially when sitting or looking at cellphone)
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Infections

Poor habits lead to poor posture. When we aren’t taking care of ourselves, unaware of constant slouching, this contributes to developing weak bones, muscles, and joints.

The Complications of Poor Posture

Without taking action against a poor posture, adverse effects can take a physical toll on the body, such as:

Does Posture Get Worse with Age?

Posture can worsen with age, mainly if an individual’s bad habits contribute to the issue. Even if a person generally has good posture, it’s natural for posture to get worse with age. This is due to the spinal discs hardening, causing loss of flexibility. The process leads to compression of the spine and a forward tilt called kyphosis.

What Age Is Too Late to Fix Your Posture?

While it’s natural for spinal functions to decline in old age, there are always ways to improve overall posture. Whether taking part in exercises or stretches that benefit posture or surgeries, there are various options so that almost anyone can improve their posture.

How Do I Improve My Sitting Posture?

Poor posture is more likely to develop from unhealthy sitting practices over standing or sleeping. Keep in mind that sitting itself doesn’t have to cause bad posture. Instead, it’s the habits that form while sitting that lead to negative long-term effects. You can take the following steps to improve posture while sitting:

Awareness, mindful thinking. The most surefire way to improve your posture is to avoid slipping into a poor position. Being mindful of your position may look like leaving sticky notes near your desk or table or setting hourly alarms. Over time, you can build up the habit and need fewer reminders.

Frequent breaks. Standing up straight is always better than sitting for posture. Especially if you have a job where you’re sitting for long periods of time, remember to take breaks to stand, stretch, and walk around. This takes any built-up tension off your spine and is good for your overall health. 

Stretches and Exercises. Keeping active and daily stretches contribute to maintaining good posture, flexibility, and healthy bodily functions. Exercise can strengthen your core muscles, and, along with exercise and stretching, eating healthy helps keep bones strong.

Position. Everyone knows that to achieve good posture, they need to practice it. But there are other factors of sitting that people may be unaware of as contributing to poor posture. Some essential steps to keep in mind include the following:

How Should I Sleep to Fix My Posture?

Sleeping on your back is the recommended sleeping position. While this may not be ideal for everyone, it promotes better posture by aligning and maintaining the spine’s natural curves and taking pressure off the arms and legs.

Sleeping on your side doesn’t need to be halted entirely. Sleeping on your side allows the spine to rest in its natural alignment. Sleeping on your stomach is the worst position for posture. This position places a heavy strain on your back and spine due to the weight carried primarily in the middle of the body.

Can Sleeping Without a Pillow Fix Posture?

Sleeping without a pillow typically improves posture for those who sleep on their stomachs. Not using a pillow can actually worsen back posture for those who sleep on their side or back. Despite this, it’s best to sleep on the back or side with a pillow than on your stomach without one.

What Are the Benefits of Good Posture?

Maintaining good, healthy posture not only prevents the harmful effects of poor posture but has overall health benefits, including:

  • Keeping and increasing flexibility
  • Reducing fatigue
  • Strengthening and maintaining balance
  • Minimizing tension in muscles
  • Better sleep
  • Reducing stress levels
  • Better mood and mental health
  • Improving memory and focus
  • Increasing in rate of speech

The impact of good posture offers long-term benefits. Minimizing the pressure placed on muscles and the spine allows the body to save more energy. The continuous tension that comes from poor posture can cause stress levels to increase due to constant pain, lack of sleep, poor memory, and other effects. 

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