Stand Tall, Live Well: The Power of Posture

Ever noticed that involuntary stoop while you're scrolling through your phone or the slouch that sneaks in unnoticed during your daily activities? How’s your posture right now as you’re reading this?

Poor posture and prolonged sitting are leading causes of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which affect approximately 1.71 billion people worldwide. In fact, a survey in the UK has found 73% of Brits are unhappy with their posture, with 51% suffering from regular back pain.

Why does posture command such attention? And what even gives rise to poor posture? Read on to discover what’s behind those drooping shoulders and contorted spines. And as you go, try to remain mindful of your own slouch.

Why Sleep and the Way You Sleep is So Important for Good Posture

Proper sleep recharges the body, strengthens muscles, and improves alertness, all promoting better posture. When you're fatigued, your body's energy reserves are depleted and maintaining an upright, correct posture can become physically taxing, causing you to adopt a slouching stance or experience drooping shoulders.

Moreover, while sleeping, your posture matters too. The correct sleep positions can help maintain the natural curvature of your spine and prevent musculoskeletal pain. Using a pillow in certain areas (depending on your sleeping position) will help reduce stress on your spine and give support. For example if you sleep on your back, you should put a pillow under your knees to reduce stress on your lower back. On the other hand, if you sleep on your side, it can be a good idea to put a pillow between your legs to prevent your upper leg from pulling your spine out of alignment while you sleep.

In summary, good posture is of paramount importance for health. As we navigate the digital age, remember to stand tall—not just for an elegant silhouette, but for your health. Let's strive to improve and maintain our posture, reaping the benefits of enhanced health and well-being. Because good posture isn't just about how we stand—it's about how we live.

What do we mean when we talk about ‘posture’?

Posture refers to the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting, or lying down. It involves the alignment and positioning of body parts in relation to each other. Good posture maintains the body's natural curves and ensures the least amount of strain on muscles and ligaments, which can help prevent issues such as back pain, muscle fatigue, and other health problems. Poor posture, on the other hand, can lead to discomfort, decreased functionality, and long-term health complications.

But what does good posture look like, you ask? Here's your checklist:

Keep your chin parallel to the floor.
Ensure your shoulders are even – a quick roll up, back, and down can help achieve this.
Maintain a neutral spine, avoiding excessive flexing or arching in your lower back.
Allow your arms to rest at your sides with straight and even elbows.
Brace your abdominal muscles.
Keep your hips even.
Ensure your knees are even and pointing directly forward.
Distribute your body weight evenly on both feet.

Try to be aware of this checklist as you go about your day - a moment's mindfulness here and there can pave the way for a lifetime of better posture!

The Effects of Bad Posture on Health

Poor posture is an underlying cause of many health issues. The consequences can range from persistent back and neck pain to musculoskeletal troubles. Over time, minor discomforts can escalate into substantial health challenges, impacting the quality of life. These could include:

Chronic back and neck pain: Poor posture puts excessive strain on your muscles and ligaments, leading to persistent back and neck pain.
Digestive system interference: Poor posture, particularly when sitting, can compress your organs, leading to impaired digestion. This can cause problems like bloating, acid reflux, and even more severe digestive disorders over time.
Reduction in lung capacity: Slouching or hunching over can restrict your lungs' ability to expand, reducing their capacity and potentially leading to difficulty in breathing and lower oxygen intake. This can result in feelings of fatigue and shortness of breath.
Severe complications from chronic poor posture: If left unchecked, chronic poor posture can cause serious issues such as spinal misalignment and disc herniation.These conditions can lead to pain, numbness, or even loss of function in severe cases. It can also increase the risk of developing chronic diseases like arthritis.
Increased risk of injuries and accidents: Poor posture can lead to an imbalance in body coordination and stability, increasing the likelihood of slips, trips, and falls. This heightened risk is due to a lack of core strength and balance, which are essential for movement and stability.
Psychological impacts of poor posture: Beyond the physical effects, poor posture can also have psychological implications. It can reduce self-confidence as it affects personal appearance, and increase stress levels due to the physical discomfort it causes. This can result in a negative impact on mental health, contributing to conditions like depression and anxiety.

Poor Posture - Possible Causes

Poor posture often arises from extended periods of sitting, which is commonplace today. Hunching over a computer or smartphone, lounging on the sofa while watching TV, and the prevalence of sedentary jobs all take a toll on your posture.

Additionally, carrying heavy objects—from workplace equipment and grocery bags to oversized handbags— can contribute towards postural issues.

Engaging in activities such as the ones mentioned often promotes a habitual tendency to slouch or hunch your shoulders. This results in the weakening and overextension of the muscles at the back of the shoulders while simultaneously causing the muscles at the front of the shoulders to contract and shorten. The same overextension and contraction are what cause poor posture in the neck. Gradually, this imbalance in muscular strength and flexibility cultivates a forward-leaning posture.

The four main types of poor posture:

Poor posture can commonly be categorised into four main types. These include:

Forward Head: Also known as tech or nerd neck, forward head is a common consequence of consistently leaning over digital devices or steering wheels. Ageing may also be a factor, as the upper body muscles weaken over time. This posture type occurs when the head is tilted so the ears fall in front of the body's vertical midline. Ideally, your ears should align with your shoulders along this midline.
Kyphosis: Identified by an excessive curvature in the upper back (thoracic spine) causing the shoulders to round forward, Kyphosis is often termed as 'hunchback'. Age-related factors like osteoporosis can cause such rounding as spinal bones weaken. Other contributors include degeneration of spinal discs or vertebrae. Diseases like polio or Scheuermann's disease (a disorder that mostly affects children, causing an abnormal curvature of the upper spine), infection, and cancer treatments may cause kyphosis in younger individuals.
Swayback (Lordosis or Hyperlordosis): This condition often develops from prolonged sitting, which tightens back muscles and weakens abdominal muscles and glutes. The weakened core muscles destabilise the back. Other causes can include obesity, injury, neuromuscular conditions, and spinal or vertebral abnormalities. Characterised by a forward tilt of the hips and pelvis, Swayback posture presents an exaggerated inward curve in the lower back. The resultant posture appears as if one is leaning backwards, with the stomach and rear protruding.
Flatback: This posture type features a straight lower back, indicating a loss of its natural curvature. A flatback makes one appear stooped forward. It can be congenital or result from certain back surgeries and degenerative spine conditions, including inflammatory arthritis (ankylosing spondylitis), disc degeneration, and vertebrae compression. Flatback can render standing for extended durations uncomfortable and painful.

It’s important to mention that contrary to common belief, the perfect posture doesn’t exist. Instead, optimal posture pivots around the idea of a 'neutral spine'. This alignment balances muscle groups, joints, and ligaments, minimising strain and enhancing flexibility.

DID YOU KNOW: Your clothing choices, particularly footwear, can significantly influence your posture. Wearing heels, for instance, can shift your body weight forward, leading to misalignment.

Strategies to Improve Posture

1. Kinesthesia and Mindfulness

To improve your posture, you must first cultivate body awareness and mindfulness. Body awareness, or kinesthesia, is the practice of knowing how you are holding your body. It involves understanding your body's positions and movements during various activities, whether sitting, standing, or lying down.

This helps you bring yourself out of a slump and back into a correct stance. Making a habit out of this awareness allows you to automatically adjust poor posture before it becomes a bigger issue. It requires keen observation of your postural habits - the places you tend to hold tension and the moments when you tend to neglect good posture.

Mindfulness, on the other hand, requires you to be fully present, attentive to bodily sensations. Regular mindfulness practice can help you catch yourself when you're about to fall into a bad posture habit. For example, you might become aware that you're slouching in front of your computer when you're deeply engrossed in work. This awareness can allow you to gently reset your posture - the more times you do so, the easier it will become to take measures to improve your posture without even thinking about it.

2. Restoring Posture with Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi

Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi are renowned for posture enhancement. These ancient disciplines focus on aligning the body, boosting flexibility, and building core strength, the trifecta for good posture. Yoga poses like Mountain and Cobra encourage spinal alignment, while Pilates exercises such as the Roll-Up and Saw strengthen the core, crucial for posture stability.

Tai Chi, with its slow, deliberate movements, teaches balance and body awareness, vital in maintaining proper posture.

Incorporating these types of exercise into your weekly routine can help correct misalignment, reduce postural strain, and enhance overall body stability and flexibility, helping you lead a more comfortable, pain-free life.

3. Ergonomic Adjustments and Techniques in the Workspace

Ergonomic workspace adjustments, such as setting your computer monitor at eye level, using chairs with good back support, and maintaining a proper typing posture, can significantly improve your comfort and productivity.

Prolonged sitting can have detrimental effects on health and posture, thus, it's vital to incorporate regular breaks into your routine. Short intervals of standing, stretching, or walking can effectively counteract these adverse effects, enhancing overall well-being.

4. Practise Good Lifting Technique

Make sure you use the correct technique while lifting heavy objects; bending at your knees and not your waist, using your leg muscles, which are designed for heavy lifting. Keep the load close to your body, maintain a straight back, and avoid twisting motions. Lift slowly and smoothly, and get help if the object is too heavy. This prevents back injuries and promotes proper posture.

Apart from bending at your knees, here are additional guidelines for proper lifting technique:

Keep the Object Close to Your Body: The closer the load is to your body, the less strain it places on your back. Keeping the object close helps maintain your balance and reduces the risk of muscle strain.
Maintain a Straight Back: Keep your back straight, not necessarily vertical. Your back should be straight from your shoulders to your bottom. This allows your spine to bear weight more effectively and minimises the risk of injury.
Avoid Twisting or Sideways Motion: Twisting while lifting can put your back in a vulnerable position and cause strain. If you need to turn, move your feet, not your torso.
Lift Slowly and Smoothly: Quick, jerky movements can strain muscles and ligaments, so it's safer to lift in a slow, controlled manner.

Exercise for Enhancing Posture

Exercise strengthens core and back muscles, maintaining spinal alignment. It improves flexibility and balance, reducing strain and promoting optimal posture. Regular physical activity also fosters body awareness for postural correction.

With a focus on core-strengthening and balance-specific workouts, you can address postural issues and support an upright stance.

Our 4 Best Posture-Improving Exercises Include:

Superman Exercise: Lie prone and concurrently lift your arms and legs a few inches off the floor. Hold this position, relax, and then repeat.
Core Strengthening: Crunches, planks, and leg extensions can substantially bolster your core muscles.
Neck Extension: Sit comfortably and firmly press your head backwards into your chair's headrest or against your hands. Maintain this position for 30 seconds, repeating it multiple times to build strength.
Shoulder Blade Strengthening: Exercise your trapezius (which starts at the back of your neck and extends to both shoulders and middle of your back) and rhomboid (two on each side, found at the top of the back) muscles to aid in retracting your shoulders. Hold an exercise band at shoulder level in front of you, stretch it across your chest while slightly bending your arms, return to the starting position, and repeat.

Boosting core strength and flexibility could lead to noticeable postural improvements within a few weeks.

DID YOU KNOW? The Power Pose: Improving your posture could significantly boost your self-confidence!

When we stand tall, our body language communicates confidence, poise, and assertiveness. According to studies, adopting an upright posture not only makes us appear more self-assured to others, but it also enhances our feelings of self-esteem and power internally.

Furthermore, standing straight can lead to positive physiological changes, such as increased levels of testosterone, a hormone related to confidence, and decreased cortisol levels, a stress hormone.

The exact biological mechanism underlying these changes is not entirely clear, but one theory is that these postures mimic the body language we would naturally adopt in situations where we feel confident and powerful. This "tricks" the brain into feeling more self-assured, thereby influencing our hormone levels. So next time you find yourself slouching, remember, standing tall isn't just good for your spine - it's a natural confidence booster!

How Lifestyle Factors Contribute to Posture

The Effects of a Healthy Diet

Beyond kinesthesia, mindfulness, and exercise, embracing certain lifestyle modifications can significantly enhance posture. Adhering to a balanced and nutritious diet is essential as it supports comprehensive health, including muscle vitality and bone strength, both of which are critical for maintaining good posture. Furthermore, sustaining a healthy weight with a healthy diet and movement alleviates unnecessary strain on your back and joints, preventing postural distortions.

Regarding diet and meals, keep these in mind:

Incorporate vitamin D and calcium into your diet: Vitamin D aids calcium absorption, which is necessary for ensuring good bone density, muscle function, and spinal health. Osteoporosis, a possible cause of kyphosis (forward rounding of the back), can develop as a result of low calcium intake and vitamin D insufficiency.

Be mindful of your intake of alcohol, caffeine, coffee, and certain soft drinks: These can all interfere with calcium absorption, weakening your bones and putting you more at risk of developing osteoporosis or suffering regular breaks/fractures, which can result in long-term disability or care needs.

Practise mindful eating habits: Focusing on the food you’re eating and staying aware of your posture can prevent excess weight gain.

Sources:

Stand Tall, Live Well: The Power of Posture

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Antonina Ross