The Importance of Proper Posture

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Having good posture not only makes you look taller, it’s good for your overall health. Continually slouching over makes your muscles work harder and can lead to aches, pains, and even shortness of breath. However, it’s never too late to correct your problematic posture and straighten your spine.

Problems Associated With Bad Posture

Slouching over a computer all day or constantly looking down at your smartphone can be a major contributing factor to bad posture. This hunched position rounds your shoulders, extends your neck, and curves your spine. Over time, this restricted position causes some muscles to become tight and inflexible, while others are underutilized and become weak.
This inflexibility or weakness impairs your body’s ability to adapt with forces around it, such as sitting in an awkward position, carrying something heavy, or combating the forces of gravity. Because your body is not moving as it was designed to, it has a harder time compensating for these forces and actually increases the likeliness of accidents and injuries.
If this poor posture becomes habitual, it can lead to neck pain, headaches, and back pain. Continuous slouching also decreases your lung capacity since your body is essentially folded in on itself, making simple activities harder to perform without getting short of breath.

What Good Posture Looks Like

When the spine is aligned correctly, all 33 vertebrae are stacked on top of each other following the three natural curves of the spine. When looking at the body from the side, you should be able to draw a line from your shoulders, to just behind your hip, to slightly in front of the knee and down in front of your ankle. This keeps your center of gravity directly over your base of support allowing you to move efficiently with minimal muscle fatigue.
When seated, the neck should be straight and not jutting out in front of the body. Shoulders should be relaxed with your arms close to your body. Elbows and wrists should be supported. The elbows and knees should both be bent at 90-degree angles with feet supported on the floor.

Keeping Good Posture

To strengthen the muscles to help keep yourself upright, it’s important to keep moving. Moving keeps your muscles active and builds strength so that holding yourself in alignment becomes second nature.
If stiffness or pain have been keeping you from moving the way you want to, contact Airrosti today. Our providers pinpoint the cause of your pain and treat it directly at the source. They also equip you with exercises and stretches to increase strength and flexibility of targeted muscles and help prevent future injuries. Find a provider near you and start your road to recovery today!
Read our Medical Disclaimer here.

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