Do you remember your mom always telling you to sit up straight? Do you look back now and wonder why you never listened?
Good posture – or how you hold your body up while sitting and standing – is important for so many reasons, including proper spine function, increased mobility and balance.
What are the other reasons why good posture is important?
Here are just a few of the countless reasons you should work on improving your posture:
- It makes breathing easier – When doctors ask you to sit up straight during a visit, they do so because they want to listen to our lungs.
- It betters your circulation and digestion – When you sit up straight, your internal organs in your stomach and abdomen areas are able to function without being compressed. When organs are compressed by poor posture, it can interfere with the organs responsible for digesting your food. Also, sitting with poor posture puts pressure on the blood vessels that carry blood to your muscles.
- It makes your joints and muscles work better – When you have good posture, your muscles and joints are properly aligned, which lessens the normal wear and tear of joint surfaces that could end in degenerative arthritis and joint pain. Your ligaments are also less stressed, which lessens your chance of injury.
- You look and feel better – When you sit and stand up straight, you appear taller, slimmer and more confident. It will certainly help in making a good first impression. When you look more confident, you’ll feel more confident, and that will translate to many, many positive things in life. Good posture is also known to improve your overall mood.
- Weight loss – What? Good posture can help you lose weight? Yes! Researchers say you can burn up to 350 more calories every day by sitting upright. The reason is that you are taking away unneeded tension, and it opens up your whole body and allows everything to flow better.
- Spine health – A healthy spine is very important to mobility and longevity as you get older. Bad posture puts undue strain on your muscles and spine, and eventually that can change the anatomical makeup of the spine. That can cause constricted blood vessels, nerve damage and other painful effects.
How can you improve your posture?
Here are a few tips for making your posture better:
- Spine exercises – Try lying on your floor on your back twice a day (in the morning and at night) and making a snow angel with your arms and legs. You can also place a rolled up towel under the curve of your spine to supplement the exercise.
- Make sure your work station promotes good posture – Your desk chair should promote you sitting up straight.
- Do core exercises – Yoga, pilates and other exercises that strengthen your core are a great way to improve your posture.
If you have questions about posture and how it impacts your life, contact Louisiana Pain Specialists today.