Did your mother tell you to sit up straight growing up? I know mine did. For good reason, this advice has been passed on for generations.
Proper posture is important!
Your posture affects you in many ways – the good and the bad. Let’s take a look at specific ways that posture can impact not just your body but also your mood.
Posture and pain
Do you get tension headaches? Or back pain? Over time poor posture can place an excessive amount of pressure on the wrong position. The result can be back, neck, and shoulder pain.
It may seem like no big deal to stare down at your phone or to sit in that comfortable recliner watching a movie. It becomes a problem when you do it all the time.
Holding your head in front of your spine places strain on neck muscles and pressure on nearby nerves. (1)
This can trigger tension headaches.
Slouching forward also puts pressure between your shoulder blades, causing further tension. When your shoulders are rounded forward the muscles on your back that help keep you upright are having a tough time doing their job. Those poor muscles.
Improving your posture can help prevent headaches and back pain. (2) It can also reduce the risk of injuries because your back muscles aren’t under the extra strain.
Action tip
Notice how you hold your head when seated. Does that comfy recliner cause you to hold your head in a forward position? Do you drive a lot with your arms and head forward? If so, keep your chin level and slide it back until the head is on the top of the spine. It’ll probably feel weird.
Proper posture can prevent falls
When your muscles are not used the way they should be, they can weaken in areas where you need them most. Mostly, this affects your core muscles.
We often think of “core muscles” as the front abdominal muscles, but let’s expand that to include muscles on your back and the sides of your hips.
These muscles work together to stabilize your body. When they don’t support your body as they should your balance and flexibility are affected. This can lead to a higher risk of falls. (3)
Action tip
Check your balance. Stand next to a wall, chair, or table for support. Balance on one leg. How did you do? Is it easier on one side? Practice this for longer periods.
Aids in digestion
Did you know that your posture can affect your digestion? Slouching can put pressure on your internal organs, including your stomach.
This can slow the digestive process. You don’t want that. Sit tall and give your stomach room to break down food.
Action tip
When you sit down to eat, notice your posture. Do your shoulders round, does your chest cave in? If so, sit up straight while you eat. Don’t compress that belly.
Helps you breathe
Just as your posture can affect your digestion, it can also affect your breathing. Rounding the shoulders and collapsing the chest restricts your rib cage and diaphragm.
When the rib cage is restricted on how much it can expand it causes more rapid, shallow breaths.
The diaphragm is the primary muscle used when inhaling. As you breathe in, your diaphragm contracts to create space in your chest cavity for your lungs to expand. Any restriction on this movement can affect your breathing.
Action tip
Throughout the day pause and notice your posture and breath. If you start feeling anxious or stressed, how are you sitting? When you sit down to get work done, is your breath more shallow? If so, check your posture.
Good posture affects your mood
Picture someone in a bad mood, or maybe just feeling down. What do you see? Most likely it’s NOT someone sitting tall with their shoulders back and chest open.
No, you picture someone with rounded shoulders, maybe with a little forward head going on.
Your mood can certainly affect your posture, but is the opposite true?
According to a 2009 study, yes. Researchers instructed students to sit a certain way. They then asked them to list 3 positive or negative personal traits that they thought would contribute to job performance.
The results are interesting.
Students sitting more upright were more confident in their thoughts, even if those thoughts were negative. (4)
Some research even suggests a link between posture and mental health. (5)
Think about this…
If you are always looking down, instead of straight. You curve your body inward, instead of standing open to the world. What cues are being sent to your brain?
According to cognitive scientists, the mind-body relationship goes both ways. Your mind influences your body and its reactions, and your body influences your mind. This idea is known as embodied cognition.
You may be sitting a little slumped because you’re feeling down, but you may also be feeling down because you’re sitting in a slumped position.
Action tip
When you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or sad notice your posture. Change it. Take a deep breath and see how you feel.
It’s never too late to focus on improving your posture. The health benefits alone are worth the effort, and your mother would certainly approve.
Next week we’ll start exploring more actionable tips you can do regularly to improve your posture.
I would love to hear anything you noticed while doing the action tips! Feel free to comment below.
Sources:
1. The Physiology of the Joints. Volume 3. The Trunk and the Vertebral Column. (1975). Postgraduate Medical Journal, 51(599), 682–683.
2. Mongini, F., Evangelista, A., Milani, C., Ferrero, L., Ciccone, G., Ugolini, A., Piedimonte, A., Sigaudo, M., Carlino, E., Banzatti, E., & Galassi, C. (2012). An educational and physical program to reduce headache, neck/shoulder pain in a working community: a cluster-randomized controlled trial. PloS one, 7(1), e29637. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0029637
3. Katzman, W. B., Wanek, L., Shepherd, J. A., & Sellmeyer, D. E. (2010). Age-related hyperkyphosis: its causes, consequences, and management. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, 40(6), 352–360. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2010.3099
4. Ohio State University. (2009). Body Posture Affects Confidence In Your Own Thoughts, Study Finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 1, 2022 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005111627.htm
5. G. G. Deaver (1933) Posture and Its Relation to Mental and Physical Health, Research Quarterly. American Physical Education Association, 4:1, 221-228, DOI: 10.1080/23267402.1933.10761571
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