Posture

 

 

Remember when good posture was something to strive for?  I don’t think we even knew why good posture was important but we did look quite nice. I can remember practicing by walking up and down stairs with a stack of books on my head.  Our parents had the right idea though, because perfecting good posture ultimately gives you more energy and fewer aches and pains.

 

Posture is the position of your body when you are sitting, standing and working.    When your body is aligned properly it is balanced, and this minimizes the strain on your supporting structures (bones, ligaments and muscles).  Poor posture makes your back vulnerable to injury and pain and it stands to reason that weak, overstretched or shortened muscles contribute to poor posture.

 

When you stand upright your internal organs are aligned properly, which affects everything from breathing to arm and leg movements.  If your body is aligned equally from side to side and from front to back it is balanced and it is less work to remain erect.

 

Posture does change over the years, but many of the limitations that older people experience are due to inactivity rather than structural changes.  Postural changes that occur throughout your lifetime result in poor alignment, which means more wear and tear on your body.  Granted, age related changes do occur as the discs in your back lose water content and become more rigid, but external factors such as hunching over a key board or carrying a heavy back pack contribute as well. 

 

As your shoulders round your hips and knees become slightly bent and pretty soon you are walking like a little old lady/man.  We won’t even go into osteoporosis, spinal stenosis and other maladies associated with age.  These words may already have been whispered in your ear by your health care provider, but you will also notice that the word exercise is always mentioned when a treatment plan is discussed.  If you are already experiencing problems you need to see a therapist to introduce you to pelvic tilts, hip flexor stretches, hamstring stretches, chin tucks and elbow press backs.  If you aren’t there yet a personal trainer, a good book or a yoga instructor will introduce you to exercises that will focus on balance and on opening up your shoulder and hip joints. My yoga instructor has a personal mission of keeping us ladies from getting a dowager hump.  The good news is that with exercise and training, you can maintain and even improve your posture.  Your mother would be so proud.