Osteopathy & Laser at Remedy Health
Posture Matters! Here’s Why…
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Understanding the Effects of Modern Lifestyles on Posture and Practical Tips for Improvement
Elizabeth at Remedy Health
We will all have heard someone say “stand up straight” or tell you to “stop slouching” at some point in our lives.
However, most of us may not realise how damaging a bad posture can be not only to our physical health but also in many other aspects of our mental health and well-being, and even more so as we age. It’s a habit we tend to fall into at an early age, making it even more important to remedy it as quickly as possible.
That said, it’s never too late to start!
Modern lifestyles
Unfortunately, modern lifestyles aren’t designed to help us have good posture. We are becoming increasingly sedentary, whether that’s through the use of transport instead of walking, sitting at desks or computers for long periods, binging for hours on Netflix, gaming and social media, or most likely, all of the above to some degree. Of course, various lockdowns over the last few years have made this even worse, sitting at kitchen tables on dining chairs to work or study and not following our usual exercise routines.
But all these factors, mean that our postural muscles are being used less, which means they tire more easily when they are used. That in turn makes it harder to maintain a good posture when you are standing or sitting, so you slump, slouch more or lean on walls, tables, or bus stops when standing.
Think about it when you next catch yourself standing around.
The impact of bad posture
The relationship you have with your postural muscles may have flickered out over time but the result is that poor posture puts your body at risk for spinal wear and tear and chronic pain.
Not only that, having poor posture can affect your health in many ways, some of which may surprise you. While the obvious consequences are the deterioration of your neck and spine and associated ligaments, muscles, and tendons, the less obvious consequences are headaches, decreased flexibility, loss of mobility, nerve entrapment, poor balance (potentially leading to falls), bad digestion, difficulty breathing, reduced energy levels, and even negative self-esteem.
It’s surprising how widely the impact of poor posture can stretch.
What you can do about it
The good news is that bad posture is just a habit we’ve got into, and as we know, habits can be broken.
Musculoskeletal practitioners like physical therapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, and massage therapists can all help by giving you specific exercises to help you strengthen weak muscles and stretch tight ones, thereby improving your posture.
The perfect spine doesn’t exist, but everyone can improve their posture, with small changes to a daily routine, becoming more body-conscious, and performing exercises a couple of days a week will go a long way to helping improve your posture, reduce the risk of injury and prevent pain.
As usual, if you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to get in contact with us. We’re here to help.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ELIZABETH DUFFIN (B.Ost, Bsc hons, msc )
Elizabeth graduated from the British School of Osteopathy (now the University College of Osteopathy) in 2005 and has over 19 years of experience practising in Sussex and Surrey. She treats patients of all ages and uses a hands-on, individualised approach combining manual treatment, movement testing and exercise prescription to support recovery and long-term wellbeing.
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