Does one of your most annoying childhood memories involve being told to straighten up?
- reliviafoundation
- Apr 5, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 5, 2019
A good posture not only exudes confidence but also promotes stellar health.
Contrary to our younger self’s beliefs, these remarks were not meant to annoy us. They embody traditional wisdom used by generations to foster good posture habits. A good posture not only exudes confidence but also promotes stellar health. Still need some convincing about the benefits of a good posture? Here is what it can do for you:
Get rid of the nagging back pain -
back pain is probably the worst side effect of poor posture. It is also the easiest to pinpoint. When you assume a good posture, your skeleton and muscles are in balance. When you slouch they become misaligned. The body exerts more pressure on the muscles and joints to make up for the lost balance and allow us to function properly [1]. This wears out the joints faster, deforms the muscles, and strains the nervous system.
When you assume a good posture, your skeleton and muscles are in balance.
Experience less neck pain and headaches -
There has been a lot of talk about ‘tech’ neck lately [2]. When we hang our head forward and look down at our phone screen our unnatural position strains the neck muscles. ‘Forward neck position’ makes the muscles tense and leads to chronic neck pain, soreness, and pinches. The more you protrude your head, the more likely it is to adopt it as a permanent change. You may want to check your posture next time you are on your phone.
Enjoy full range of motion in the shoulders - imagine your shoulders as a crossroads connecting your
arms, neck, and back. Slumped shoulders can restrict your shoulder range of motion and lead to pinches. This limits the blood flow and nerve movement, affecting all of the above mentioned areas. What you can do to reverse this is take a breath, pull them back and down. If you find it hard to remember, get a posture corrector and use it until you form a habit.
... get a posture corrector and use it until you form a habit.
Overcome or recover from bad mood quicker research on the connection between posture, bad mood and negative thoughts shows that good posture can help you recover from a bad mood swing quickly [3]. Poor posture, meanwhile, hinders you from overcoming your negative thoughts. So next time you feel down, check to see if you are slumping over and observe how others react to your body signals. It is likely they will restrain from socializing with you.
Appear more confident and sociable -
another good reason to assume a good posture is that it helps you build more self-confidence and charisma. It is no coincidence that all beloved superheroes take on poses, which highlight a good posture and confident persona. So, if you want to smash that job interview or just conquer the world master your good pose and let it work for you. You won’t find a better sidekick than this!
In short, as you can see, there is a lot a good posture can do for you. Not only is it more impressive than any Instagram filter, but it is also a great way to stay healthy. Assuming a new posture would take some time and patience, but it ultimately pays off.
Assuming a good posture is that it helps you build more self-confidence and charisma.
References:
[1] Britnell, S.J., et al. 2005. Postural health in women: The role of physiotherapy. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 27 (5), 493–500.
[2] Alabdulwahab, Sami & Kachanathu, Shaji & Al-Mutairi, Mohammed. (2017). Smartphone use addiction can cause neck disability. Musculoskeletal care. 15. 10.1002/msc.1170.
[3] Veenstra, L., Schneider, I. K., & Koole, S. L. (2016). Embodied mood regulation: Effects of body posture on mood recovery, negative thoughts, and mood congruent recall. Cognition and Emotion, 1-16.
Comments