You must remember your parents saying, "Stand up straight," countless times. At first, it's easy to ignore their advice because you don't understand why you need to do so. What you probably didn't know is it impacts your overall health more than you think. Even when you're not an athlete, good posture is vital in maintaining fitness, and it eases the load on your spine and back muscles.
The fact is 80 percent of adults have suffered back pain at some point, and 70 percent suffer from neck pain as a result of bad posture. That's why, if you're not used to standing and sitting straight, it's important to use tools like the Fit Geno Back Brace. Your back and neck will breathe a huge sigh of relief, and thank you for it.
What Is Good Posture?
When you're standing or sitting, your back naturally tries to stoop because it's going against gravity, and it takes effort to keep your back straight. What many people don't understand is practicing keeping your body aligned takes practice. Once you master maintaining good posture, it will come naturally to you, just like how you breathe.
When you stoop, it puts so much strain on your spine and lower back muscles. In the beginning, sure, it won't feel that way. But in time, your vertebrae and back muscles will feel the pressure.
What good posture should be:
- Your chin is parallel to the floor
- Shoulders should be rolled back and down
- Spine should not be flexed, and there is no overemphasis on the curvature
- Arms are at your sides with your elbows straight and even
- Hips are even
- Your knees are pointing straight ahead
- Your body weight is evenly distributed on both your feet
When sitting down while doing something, your posture would be the same, except your arms might be moving, and your weight is distributed on your butt. Ensure you're sitting on a good cushion for long periods.
Bad Effects
When you don't practice good posture, it can cause a whole lot of health issues. Sure, most of them aren't that serious, but if it's not corrected, they could lead to more serious things.
- Back and Neck Pain
If your spine is properly aligned, it can support your weight without strain. When you're used to having bad posture, your back and neck muscles have to work overtime to compensate for the extra support needed to maintain that position. In time, your back muscles will start experiencing pain, and your neck muscles will follow.
Though it's not apparent, bad posture requires so much more effort from your muscles. Correct it, and you'll start getting relief from the pain.
2. Poor Digestion
Many people have a habit of stooping and looking at their phone after a meal-head down, stooping. This is the worst thing anyone can do.
Stooping gets your body in an unnatural position, especially some organs essential to digestion. Doing this often could potentially cause acid reflux and digestion. When you correct it, your digestion will start improving for the better.
3. Headaches
Unnatural tension of the neck muscles is most commonly caused by poor posture. In fact, tension headaches are one of the most common headaches adults experience. They start with you feeling a tightness in your neck muscles. Then, it progresses to a dull, throbbing pain. It's easy to ignore these symptoms, but this will eventually become a headache if you're not careful.
Yoga and stretching can temporarily solve these types of tension headaches, but correcting your posture is the ultimate life hack to relieve it.
Read Also: Zen App With Mirroring Software Helps Relieve Back Pain by Monitoring Your Posture
4. Low Energy Levels
Bad posture can make you feel tired and less energetic because it prevents better blood circulation. Good circulation is important so your body gets all the oxygen and nutrients it needs to function, especially when doing physical activities. Remember, your body benefits a lot when it functions how it's supposed to.
Related Article: Best Posture Improvement Apps to Stop You From Slouching, Having Back Pain, and MORE
