We have all heard our parents say to us “don’t you dare slouch” while we were younger. Most of them would roll over our eyes. However, there is a big reason why our parents would want us to sit straight. To be honest, it was not just for social reasons. Rather, there are a number of harmful effects of having a poor body posture. In fact, all spine and back doctors will also recommend you sit and stand straight.
The benefits of a good sitting and standing posture
Anyway, so why is a good posture so important after all? Well, a good posture simply refers to the positioning and alignment of the body with respect to the gravitational force. Whether we are lying down, sitting, or standing, gravity is always exerting a force on us.
In case you have a good body posture, the gravitational force will be distributed throughout the body. As a result of this, no single structure in the body will become overstressed!
In this article, we put together a number of reasons why a good posture is extremely important for you. These include:
Makes it easier for you to breath
When we visit a doctor, he/she may ask her to sit straight when listening to the sounds of our lungs. The frontal muscles along with the tendons become shorter due to slouching all the time. This reduces the capacity of breathing and makes it difficult for a person to breath deeply. This also improves the blood circulation, which promotes better heart health.
When the body has adapted itself to the slouched position, sitting straight may feel uncomfortable. However, it will take a little while to get used to it. After that, the body will readjust itself to a good posture.
Portrays more confidence
Good posture boosts the self-confidence. This is something that you can also try in front of the mirror. Just stand straight, and take a deep breath. Now, get slouched again. After you repeat this process a few times, you will notice the difference.
Also, if you look around, most of the people that we consider confident tend to have a very nice posture. Hence, a posture certainly plays a great role in how people get influenced by you as a person.
Improves digestion and circulation
A proper posture helps the abdominal organs to stay in their natural position, without an over compression. A compression can interfere with the gastrointestinal functions and normal flow of blood.
A slouched posture is often considered to be one of the causes for hernias and acid reflux, along with constipation.
Makes you look younger and slimmer
This is one of the improvements that you will instantly sense once you correct your posture. All in all, you will start looking taller and may even add up an inch into your height. Basically, it will allow you to project your real height.
At the same time, a good posture may also instantly take away as much as 4 pounds of weight from your appearance.
Changes the frame of your mind
Posture has a direct relation with our frame of mind. For instance, when we are happier, we tend to be upright. At the same time, when we are depressed, sad, or in pain, we often stand and sit slouched.
So the next time when you are feeling anxious or sad, try to change your body posture and take deeper breaths. You may notice a difference.
Ending note
Poor posture can also cause spinal and back problems. For instance, back pain is one of the most common side-effects of a poor posture. If that happens, visit a back pain doctor Woodbridge as soon as possible! All in all, keep all the benefits and side-effects of a bad posture in mind. This will help you in slowly fixing it for good!
