Benefits of Good Posture

Overview

When it comes to health, maintaining good posture is equally as important as eating healthy and working out. Good posture puts your body in just the perfect condition to handle any task with full energy and vigor.

There are many benefits you can get from maintaining good posture. And so, in this piece, we shall be covering everything you need to know about good posture like what it entails, the pros of it, and what you tend to experience when you don’t practice it.

You shall also learn some tips that will help you maintain good posture every day.

Ready? Let’s dive right into it.

What does good posture entail?

Also referred to as a neutral spine, good posture means that the muscles that surround the spine are well-balanced to provide adequate support. It means how you position your spine when sitting, standing, walking, and even when you lay down.

There are three natural curves in your spine which are located at the low back, mid-back and the neck. When your body is symmetrically aligned, these curves will maintain a certain position with the right muscle tension.To get a clearer picture, posture is of two types: static and dynamic posture.

Static posture refers to the way your body is aligned when you are standing, sitting, or sleeping. While dynamic posture is how your body is aligned when walking, bending, or running. Knowing the proper way to handle static and dynamic posture will greatly affect your health positively.

Ways a bad posture can affect your health

There are several ways a bad posture can affect your health. If you have the habit of slumping over or slouching, you are definitely hurting your spine. To help you understand why a bad posture is not a good idea, here are some ways it might affect you:

Poor flexibility
Misaligned muscular system
Shoulder, neck and back pain
Stiff joints
Increases chances of tripping over due to lack of balance
Difficulty in breathing and digesting food
And many more

This isn’t to scare you, but you need to know that bad posture is in no way good for your health. And it’s not too late to start doing something about your posture even when you have a medical condition like dowager hump. Perhaps, when you learn of some of the benefits of maintaining good posture, you wouldn’t think twice about getting started right away. Let’s find out what you tend to gain with good posture.

How can a good posture affect your health?

Reduced tension in your neck and shoulder

One sign of a bad posture is a situation where your head is tilting forward more than it should. This puts a strain on the neck, shoulder and the upper back. But if your posture is right, you will notice that the ligaments and joints are well-aligned. This means that there won’t be much stress on these vital areas.

Decreased low back pain

Do you usually slouch for a long time when standing or sitting? It could be the reason why you are experiencing that pain in your lower back. Slouching often mounts some pressure on the spine’s posterior structures like the facet points, intervertebral discs, muscles and ligaments. Correcting your posture can decrease this pain to the barest minimum.

Improved lung capacity

Standing and sitting taller without slouching will allow your lungs to expand more, which will result in better breathing.

Better scapular strength and core

When you practice good posture, you make use of the upper back muscles and your core. Making it a habit to maintain a good posture means that these vital systems remain active and in great shape.

Improved digestion and circulation

You will notice that your blood flow and digestion have taken a turn for the better when you start practicing good posture. Bad posture can compress these organs.

Healthy joints

Standing poorly or sitting crooked can result in pain in your hip and leg joints. Naturally, the joints wear down over time. A bad posture can put even more strain on these joints which could lead to more health issues, especially as you age.

Boosted self-confidence

One way to improve your self-esteem is to practice good posture. It has the tendency to boost your energy which helps you attack tasks you usually find hard to do. A study carried out in 2009 proved that posture can actually increase your confidence level.

Better appearance

For the last but not the least benefit that you can derive from practicing good posture, this one seems to be the icing on the cake. Good posture will make you appear slimmer because the abdominals are more defined. But the best part is that it will make you appear taller. Who wouldn’t want to look slimmer and taller?

How you can achieve good posture

You don’t have to put in so much effort in trying to sustain a good posture. Your body most of the time does this unconsciously even without you taking note of it. But to help you ensure that your posture is right most of the time, here are things you can do:

Stand properly

With your feet placed about 4

Benefits of Good Posture

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