Many people suffer or deal with poor posture. Poor posture is very common and can lead to several issues that can have an impact on a person’s overall health. All ages are affected by poor posture but it can take time to become problematic and cause symptoms in most people. Let’s look at what good posture is and how it affects the body.
What does it mean to have good posture? Good posture generally implies having a person’s entire body aligned in a proper symmetrically, balanced and unique position regardless of how they are positioned in space. This would be any position; whether they are sitting, standing, moving, or laying on the couch or in bed. An ideal standing posture would be standing straight and tall with your shoulders back, your head balanced over your shoulders, your hips centered above your knees and your weight dispersed over your arches and in line with your hips, shoulders and top of the head.
There are many indicators that you may be dealing with poor posture. Some symptoms of poor posture include but are not limited to: having rounded shoulders, having one elevated shoulder, your head either leans in a forward, backward or side ways position, experiencing overall back pain, your muscles may feel fatigued, or you may be experiencing headaches. It is important to recognize these signs and symptoms and work towards bettering your poor posture to help improve your overall health and lifestyle. Slouching for extended periods of time can cause extra pressure to be placed on the intervertebral discs, ligaments in the back and neck, and as well as the muscles of the back and neck which can result in pain and even headaches. Some headaches can be caused from muscle tension that occurs in the neck and upper back. Having a hunched back when lifting weights can also increase your chance of injury to the disc and tissues of the lower back. Maintaining good posture can result in fewer headaches and other muscle symptoms.
Fixing poor posture does take time but it is fairly simple with exercises and consistency. A few stretches that help the strain of poor posture are the following: making circles with your neck and arms to help stretch out the upper neck and back; cat-camel stretching to help the thoracic and lumbar spine be more mobile with motion; and pelvic tilts to help stretch the deep muscles of the lower back and pelvis. Start with stretching and work on positioning in a “stacked” position in a seated or standing position with feet on floor, knees over ankles, hips over knees when standing/ 90 degrees when sitting and the shoulders and head over the pelvis, with the eyes looking straight ahead. Try working on posture in small doses of time which should help build new muscle patterns, strength and flexibility over time, resulting in a new posture that will last.
If you think you have poor posture and want some help figuring out how to fix it, give Fletcher Chiropractic a call today at 402-261-5766. The chiropractors at Fletcher Chiropractic would be happy to get you in the proper position and feeling great all day long.