Having good posture is important to your health. Many adults have poor posture, but relatively few adults have a good understanding of how important good posture is. Here are some important facts about posture that you should know.
Understanding your posture
Posture is the way that you hold your body while you sit, stand, or lie down. If you have good posture, the different parts of your body will be aligned correctly and supported by your muscles. You wouldn’t be able to sit or stand if you didn’t have muscles to help to keep everything aligned.
You are able to maintain your posture subconsciously. Your muscles do what they need to do automatically without you needing to think about it. Several different groups of muscles are critical for helping you to maintain good posture, including the large muscles of your back and your hamstrings. These muscles help to keep gravity from pushing you over and help to maintain your balance while you move.
Why good posture is important
Good posture helps you to sit, stand, walk, and lie down in positions that will not place too much strain on your ligaments and muscles. Good posture helps you in the following ways:
- Keeps your joints and bones correctly aligned
- Decreases abnormal wear and tear of your joints
- Reduces ligament stress so that your risk of injury is minimized
- Helps your muscles to work more efficiently
- Helps to prevent overuse disorders, muscle pain, and muscle strain
In order to maintain good posture, you must have good muscle strength and flexibility, normal motion in your joints, and strong postural muscles. You must also work to correct your posture issues if you notice that you have poor posture.
What poor posture can cause
If you have poor posture, it can cause too much strain to be placed on your muscles. This might make you more likely to suffer injuries and back pain. Some of the common factors that can contribute to poor posture include the following:
- Stress
- Obesity
- Muscles that are abnormally tight
- Pregnancy
- Weak muscles
- Wearing high heels
- Poor work environments
- Unhealthy standing and sitting habits
Can you correct your own posture?
It is possible for you to correct your posture. It is important to understand that posture problems that have existed for a long time will take a longer period to fix, because your joints may have adapted themselves to your poor posture habits. With careful practice, good posture will eventually replace poor posture and help you to enjoy a healthier body.
A doctor of chiropractic can help you to regain your correct posture. In addition to making postural corrections with adjustments, Dr. Weigle at the Absolute Health Center in Gainesville, Florida can recommend exercises that you can do at home to help you to strengthen your muscles. She can also help to alleviate the pain and other problems that can result from having poor postural habits. Schedule an appointment today by calling (352) 377-7373.
