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Healthy Habits
Posture: Your Mother Warned You!
Sit straight. Stand tall. Don't slouch. Words we grew tired of hearing when we were young, but the warning should have been well heeded. The body's entire ability to function is dependent on the way it is built, right down to the last curve and tilt. When everything is in its place, the sum of the body's parts creates an amazing machine capable of incredible things. As soon as a part or an area decides to sit or operate differently, either by internal choice or by some external force, the body's level of health shifts. Restoring the structure has the opposite effect of improving the function and allowing the body to be built and operate as it was designed.
Have you ever noticed how tall you sit and walk on the days when you feel wonderful? At the same time, have you ever noticed how you can slouch and let your head hang on those not so good days? And how about those days when you're mad, frustrated or upset? We tend to hunch our shoulders, frown, and stomp around. Not only does our posture effect how the body functions, it also effects our attitude. And, once again, the opposite is true. You can bet that your attitude definitely effects your posture and therefore effects how you function and feel on a day to day basis.
So what is good posture? Here are a few hints:
- When standing, your weight should be equally balanced between both feet and both legs. This is not necessarily the best way to stand for a long period, but for posture sake it's still the standard. A line passing through your ear, shoulder, elbow, hip, and lateral ankle should all be in a straight line when viewed from the side.
- A good way to obtain this position is to place one hand in the small of your back behind you and the other hand across to the opposite shoulder in front of you. With shoulders back and the low back arched forward, you should have good balance in this position. Rest your arms at your sides once you feel and look straight.
- While sitting upright, it is important to maintain the arch or curve in the low back. Do not let your low back flatten out or your upper back roll forward or slouch. Sit tall with your shoulders square and look straight ahead. You feet should be resting comfortably on a supported surface. The best way to enforce this position is to sit without a back support for shorter and then longer periods of time.
- When you've found an efficient position either standing or sitting, you will not feel the need to have to shift your position. Your muscles should not ache or burn and you should feel balanced, relaxed, and comfortable.
Posture is part of the body being able to do things efficiently. Unnecessary waste from inefficient posture can burn extra energy and wear out certain muscles or joints. Posture is also a habit, a habit that is hard to break and hard to train. Nonetheless, its value is great and should not be avoided due to the effort required. Once the new habits are created, the conscious effort to maintain your position in space will disappear and you'll think about it no more.
In preventing health problems or treating departures of health, doctors of chiropractic almost always take posture into consideration. A healthy posture creates optimum body function and an overall good feeling. So spruce up your attitude with some good posture and not only will your body benefit, so will your mind.
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