Parents often teach their children to "sit up straight" or "stand tall" to promote right posture. Why? Adults recognise the significance of proper posture on appearance. Few people understand the importance of maintaining proper posture for general health and well-being. The foundation of maintaining good health is proper posture, which extends beyond looks.
What is the reason behind the need of proper posture, especially when standing? Dr B Mayuri Chandra (PT), BPT , MPT Neurosciences, Consultant Physiotherapist at nSure Healthy Spine says your standing posture is a reflection of the alignment and activation of your abdominal muscles, which has been shaped by your habits throughout time. "People with bad posture are simple to spot, but we tend to ignore our own. Posture as skeletal and muscular balance and alignment protects the body's supporting components from deformation and damage. Functional movement patterns are utilised to promote and establish proper posture and bone formation," explains DR Chandra.
What is good posture?
Good posture is when the body maintains muscular and skeletal equilibrium, preventing joints and muscles from overstretching or excessive tightness, which leads to a reduced range of motion. In addition to the musculoskeletal system, Dr Chandra says respiration, digestion, cognition, energy levels, and confidence are all impacted by maintaining proper posture with a neutral spine position. "To sustain the body's weight against gravity, one must sit and stand with a neutral spine position," she suggests.
What you can do?
Being conscious of your posture throughout the day is a big part of keeping proper posture. This involves actively examining and adjusting your posture when seated at your desk, waiting in line, or even just moving about. Making a mental note of your posture might help you develop long-term habits of keeping your stance straight.
It takes time and effort to teach your body to maintain proper posture. But it's worth the effort because of the advantages it offers, like as lowering the chance of neck and back discomfort and promoting a healthy lifestyle in general.
Representational Image (Getty Images) Neutral spine- the key element for good posture
The lumbar spine's (lower back) natural curvature is referred to as the "neutral spine."
Proper posture enhances joint and muscle function
The secret to better muscle strength and general physical health, Dr Chandra says is maintaining proper posture. It avoids needless muscular strain and makes the most use of your muscles, "particularly your leg muscles. Promoting effective muscular contraction, which is essential for muscle strength and endurance, is one way that proper posture does this."
Your leg muscles are actively used to support your body's weight and preserve balance while you stand or sit in the proper position. Over time, this consistent use strengthens these muscles, improving your capacity to carry out a variety of physical tasks. Additionally, maintaining proper posture lowers the risk of muscular fatigue and pain by preventing the accumulation of muscle tension.
Maintaining proper posture lowers neck and back pain
If you suffer from neck and back discomfort, you may be surprised to learn that correcting your posture might help relieve your symptoms. "Good posture distributes your body weight evenly over your skeletal system, which reduces pressure on your muscles and joints. Keeping your knees slightly bent, for example, helps to preserve balance and flexibility, lowering the chance of injury and pain," explains Dr Chandra.
This is especially important when discussing back and neck problems. When you have bad posture, the weight of your body is not equally distributed.This unequal distribution can cause overcompensation in specific regions, such as the back and neck, resulting in pain and discomfort.
Thus, maintaining a decent posture, with your knees slightly bent and your body weight well distributed, can be a highly effective method for relieving back and neck discomfort. "This is not just important when standing but also when performing other tasks such as carrying large things, when proper posture may considerably lower the risk of strain or injury," suggests Dr Chandra.
Representational Image (Getty Images) Benefits of good posture
- People's breathing improves when they sit and stand in neutral spine position.
- Proper posture implies shoulder blades pressed together behind the back, and core muscles engaged. Sitting in correct posture allows the diaphragm and lungs to operate freely.
- Good posture improves the functioning of internal organs. Each organ in the body has a natural position that may be maintained by excellent posture.
Poor posture and its ill effects
- Poor posture causes musculoskeletal imbalances, particularly in the neck and lower back, which can result in discomfort and pain.
- If the body is out of alignment over a long period of time, muscles shorten or lengthen to compensate.
- Rounded and drooping shoulders, along with weak core muscles, result in bad posture and restrict maximum thoracic (chest) expansion, reducing breathing capacity eventually damaging the musculoskeletal system.
- Poor posture can be seen in the following ways:
Rounded and raised shoulders, forward head posture and poky chin, pelvis tilting forward, increasing lumbar spine curvature. - Poor posture alters the arrangement of internal organs, cramping the lungs, stomach, and intestines, resulting in poor digestion and, in some cases, constipation.
- A misaligned spine impairs the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain, reducing concentration, focus, and cognition.
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