When it comes to wellbeing, one of the last things that people consider is posture. Good posture can be seen as a “neutral spine”, where the muscles that surround the spine are balanced and equally able to support the body. Gaining good posture involves getting your body to place less strain on your muscles and ligaments as you go through day to day activities. But why should you work on improving your posture? There is actually a boatload of benefits that you can experience when you fix your posture. We’ve listed a few of them below.
1. Less lower back pain
By strengthening your muscles around your spine, your lower back pain will likely lessen. This is because weight will be better distributed in the area. In specific, less stress is placed on the intervertebral discs, facet points, ligaments, and muscles
2. Decreased shoulder and neck tension
When your spine isn’t doing the best, your neck and shoulders are likely to suffer as well. This usually occurs when your posture causes your head to tilt forward. When the spine isn’t aligned straight up and down, the stress of being bent forward can ease the pain away from the neck, shoulders, and upper back.
3. Better breathing
When you’re slouching, you’re also compressing your lungs. Adjusting your posture can allow for your lungs to have more room to expand, and can help you take fuller, deeper breaths.
4. Increased energy
Research has shown that when bones and joints are in their correct alignments, muscles will be better used. Energy won’t be wasted in supporting a bad posture. Improving your posture can leave you with a little bit of extra energy for the day.
5. Less headaches
Tension headaches can occur when muscles are overworked. Overworking your muscles is common when you have poor posture, so improving your posture can help decrease the tension in your body. This, in turn, can help decrease your tension related headaches
6. Better digestion and circulation
Just how your lungs are likely to be compressed with poor posture, so are your other vital organs. These organs can improve in function when no longer compressed due to poor posture.
Works Cited:
Back Health and Posture. (n.d.). Retrieved from Cleaveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/4485-back-health-and-posture
Jonaitis, J. (2018, September 18). These 12 Exercises Will Help You Reap the Health Benefits of Good Posture. Retrieved from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/posture-benefits#1