The other day I was looking at a toddler sitting in a highchair and noticed how perfect their posture was. The next day I saw another toddler and they too had perfect posture. Where did it all go so wrong with us? Adults, for the most part, have poor posture. From sitting in a chair several hours a day to being at home lying on the sofa, we all tend to have some degree of poor posture and we are all paying the price.

How can poor posture affect us?

1. Forward head. This is a posture where the chin is pushed forward, causing the cervical spine to be out of alignment. This can cause neck pain and general fatigue. Many people who are tall bend forward to speak with other people. Their head and chin will push forward because of this. People who sit at their desks for long periods of time will slump forward causing a forward head.

2. Rounded shoulder posture. This posture can make the muscles of the upper to mid back become weakened and lengthened, while the muscles of the chest shorten. This type of poor posture can inhibit respiration.

3. Exaggerated curve in the lumbar spine. This type of poor posture may cause lower back pain due to weakened abdominals, which can affect digestion.

4. Sway or flat back posture. In this type of poor posture, the ribcage presses forward as the back “sways”. This creates muscle imbalances and poor coordination. In both postures there is a shortening of the hamstrings and lengthening of the hip flexors due to the imbalances in the body alignment and structure.

So what can proper posture do to your body?

1. Keeps bones and joints in correct alignment.
2. Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions.
3. Prevents strain and overuse problems.
4. Prevents backaches, headaches and muscular pain.
5. Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of the joint surfaces that could result in arthritis.
6. Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together.

What can you do to help improve your posture?

1. If you are sitting for more than an hour at a time, get up and walk around for a little bit. Stretch and wiggle your toes, get the blood flowing back into the entire body.

2. When sitting, sit as tall as possible. Be aware of your posture and correct it when you begin to slump. Sitting on a stability ball keeps you from slumping.

3. Don’t use your head and shoulder as a phone rest. Many people sit for long periods of time in this position. We have all done this and we all know how our neck feels afterwards!

4. Watch out for heavy handbags, briefcases and backpacks when they are resting on your shoulders. The weight of these items will throw your alignment off resulting in shoulder, neck and upper back pain. A sling type bag is best. Or just carry your bag.

5. Incorporate a stretching program into your daily routine. As we get older, our muscles get tighter and tighter if we don’t keep them stretched. The lack of regular stretching can lead to poor posture.

In conclusion, good posture has many benefits to our health and well being. Being aware of how we carry ourselves and knowing what is tight or imbalanced will help you prevent poor posture. As a personal trainer, my job is to identify any postural imbalances in order to prescribe the proper stretches to correct these imbalances. Through a couple of simple tests, I can get you back on the road to better posture, less fatigue and a healthier you!

Lee Fenwick
Master Personal Trainer
www.TrainerLee.org
Email Lee Fenwick
816.728.8547

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 at 8:57 am and is filed under Body. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.