Why an upright posture is key to your health?

"Stand up straight” is the timeless advice you got from your mom. Well, she was on to something good for you. As it turns out this advice is worth heeding. Good posture has a lot of benefits like keeping good balance, maintaining correct form while working out, having fewer injuries and you can enjoy and compete in so many sports and activities because of better balance. Okay so you are not an athlete, so what? It still pays off to have a good posture, as it promotes good balance and reduces the risk of falls and fractures in your elder years. Unless you are a dancer or a personal trainer you are not paying attention to your posture regularly. Then all of a sudden one day you start noticing the pain in neck, shoulders or lower back and you discover that your posture is out of whack.

You ask me “what is posture?”  It is the neutral position of our spine. Proper posture results in an optimal alignment of feet, pelvis, trunk, and head. With proper posture body parts are supported by the right amount of muscle tension against gravity. 

Why do we have poor posture?

There are a lot of different reasons for having a poor posture. Some of those are discussed below:

• Poor posture can result from repetitive movement patterns of individuals without even realizing it. Many individuals carry heavy laptop bags and mothers of young kids carry the diaper bags and babies on just one side of the body. The same is true of driving constantly with the hands on the steering wheel and working on the computers. The body does not readjust itself to the neutral position and in fact, keeps on moving to the imbalanced position. All these activities contribute to muscle dysfunction and disturb the symmetry of the body.
• Poor posture can result from scar tissue from surgeries. Lack of scar tissue mobility results in compensatory movement patterns. The balanced movement has to be actively restored, otherwise, it leads to postural changes.
• Poor posture can also result from poor muscle strength. Especially " the core muscles" of the back, and pelvis that form the main link between your upper and lower extremities. Weak core muscles lead to slumping and asymmetric weight shift of the body. All the more reason to get your daily workout in and build muscle strength.
• Incomplete rehabilitation after an injury can result in muscle imbalances that were never resolved. The body adapts to available mobility and stability and creates alternate movement patterns which result in postural imbalance.

Benefits of proper posture

Let's look into some of the benefits of proper posture.

Better oxygen consumption

Posture can affect our breathing pattern. According to a research study published by Biomedical Research Institute in 2018 normal respiration is a very intricate function that comprises mechanical as well as nonmechanical components and alteration of head and neck positions. This research study shows that poor posture had an immediate negative impact on respiratory function. The forward head posture very common in people who work regularly on workstations results in weakness of sternocleidomastoid, scalene, and trapezius muscles. These muscles are accessory muscles of respiration, which are used in addition to the diaphragm. The weakness of these muscles has been associated with a decrease in maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure (Zafar, Albarrati, Alghadir, & Iqbal, 2018). Standing up and sitting up tall may improve your ability to bring in oxygen by as much as 30%.

Back pain relief

Lower back pain is one of the major forms of musculoskeletal degeneration. 80 % of the adult population is affected by low back pain (Hodges & Richardson, 1996). Research shows back pain to be more prevalent in people who work in office spaces (Omokhodion & Sanya, 2000).  Sitting down for long hours without a break and constantly working on the computer shortens and tightens the muscles in the front chain of the body like pectoralis muscles and hip flexor muscles. The tightness in these muscles leads to decreased stabilization of the lumbar spine.  Proper posture helps to keep joints, ligaments, and muscles properly aligned and strengthens the muscles around the spine to reduce lower back pain.

Functional efficiency

The human movement system is a very complex, well-orchestrated system of interrelated and interdependent myofascial and neuromuscular components. Optimum alignment of these structures through proper posture provides strengthening of the muscles and alleviates pain. This way structural efficiency can also be achieved by maintaining the individual's center of gravity over the constantly changing base of support during functional movements.

Improved appearance

Slumped shoulders, forward head, and excessive spinal curvature gives the appearance of depression and a lack of confidence and makes you look heavier. Models, movie stars, and famous politicians all maintain a good posture because good posture exhibits power and confidence. With proper posture, you will look confident, self-assured, and poised.  Proper posture also makes you look taller. 

Get rid of the headaches

Forward head posture increases the workload for many of the muscles attached to the cervical spine, which has the job of holding up the head. Research shows that people who have a posture featuring a forward head tend to have more headaches, and the headaches last longer than people who have good posture (Fortner, Oakley, & Harrison, 2018). If your head is aligned properly over your shoulders, then the weight of your head which weighs between 12- 15 pounds is fully supported, and your neck muscles do not have to work very hard to support the weight of your head. 

Optimize your digestion

You must have heard the saying “Your looks on the outside say a lot about your inside”. This is true when it comes to your gut health. When you have good posture, your internal organs align well. That means less compression on your stomach, intestines, and liver, facilitating the free flow of food and digestive juices. Your diaphragm—the muscle which stretches around your abdomen in a band at the bottom of your lungs, right across your stomach plays an important role in helping food to move through your esophagus and your gut. The esophagus contracts and it allows food to pass through whilst preventing stomach acid from rising into the mouth. So, if you have bloating, discomfort, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux or excess gas after eating, it’s time to do a posture audit. Be mindful of how you are treating your posture, and in turn your poor diaphragm.

Decreased fatigue & depression

The benefits of improving the posture go beyond the physical effects. Cognition theories suggest that muscular and autonomic states influence emotional responding. Altering the body posture to a more upright position can improve mood and energy levels. A depressed person has slouched and slumped shoulders that hunch and a hanging head. Posture has measurable effects on optimism, energy, and even mood. Research published in Health Psychology found that adopting an upright seated posture in the face of stress can maintain self-esteem, reduce negative mood, and increase positive mood compared to a slumped posture. Furthermore, sitting upright increases the rate of speech and reduces self-focus. Sitting upright may be a simple behavioral strategy to help build resilience to stress (Nair, Sagar, Sollers, Consedine, & Broadbent, 2015). 

Improved concentration

In a study published recently in the journal Biofeedback, researchers asked 216 students to first sit in a slouched position, then to sit upright, with shoulders pulled down and back and a slight arch in the back. While the students were slumped, the researchers asked them to try to recall negative memories and then, in a second step, positive memories. They then asked the students to repeat the same experiments while sitting upright. Eighty-six percent of the students reported that it was much easier to recall negative memories in the slumped position. Eighty-seven percent found it easier to remember positive things while sitting with erect (tall) posture (Peper, Lin, Harvey, & Perez). 

Physiologically, an erect body posture allows participants to breathe more effectively because the diaphragm has more space for the descent. It is easier for participants to learn slower breathing and increased heart rate variability while sitting erect as compared to collapsed. The improved oxygen flow that comes with good posture positively affects your brain and focus.

Making good posture happen

No need to worry it’s easy to correct your posture and reap all the above benefits. Here are some easy hacks to try out at your desk, while commuting, and at home as often as possible to maintain proper posture.

• Balance training helps to improve posture as it allows your body to quickly find stable postures when it is pushed out of position. Try your local clubs Barre?, Yoga?, and Pilates? classes. Core strengthening and plyometrics can also help build proper posture. 
• To get rid of the forward head posture, be attentive to your posture while working. Try to stay tall and grow taller through the crown of your head while typing on the computer.
• Keep your feet on the floor when sitting and be aware of your contact with the ground while standing. This will help you get the support you need to maintain your balance. When standing, try balancing your weight symmetrically and keep the weight evenly between the heels and the balls of the feet.
• Breathing is an excellent tester of posture. If you are breathing shallow and short breaths that stop at your chest than your posture is incorrect. Take deep diaphragmatic breaths to fix your posture. 
• There are products on the market that can help you maintain a good posture as well. UPRIGHT is one such simple product that you can wear for just 15 minutes a day to improve your posture. It works by sending your body gentle vibrations when you start to slump or slouch.
• The easiest way to elongate your spine and prevent painful adhesions is to keep moving. Get up from your desk once an hour and walk around for five to ten minutes. Pull-on your running shoes and jog home from work or to kid’s bus stop. While watching TV get up from the sofa and do standing marches, hold a plank and do sit-ups. Anything that prevents your spine from resting in one position for too long helps your posture.

Since most probably you don’t have your mom nagging at you to sit and stand upright as an adult. Practice these posture correcting habits on your own. With practice, the correct posture for standing, and sitting will gradually replace your old posture. Trust me your future self will thank you for doing it.

References

Fortner, M. O., Oakley, P. A., & Harrison, D. E. (2018). Alleviation of chronic spine pain and headaches by reducing forward head posture and thoracic hyperkyphosis: a CBP? case report. Journal of physical therapy science, 30(8), 1117–1123.

Hodges, P.W., & Richardson, C.A. (1996). Inefficient muscular stabilization of the lumbar spine associated with low back pain. A motor control evaluation of transversus abdominis. Spine, 21(22).

Nair, S., Sagar, M., Sollers, J. III, Consedine, N., & Broadbent, E. (2015). Do slump and upright postures affect stress responses? A randomized trial. Health Psychology, 34(6), 632–641.

Omokhodion, F.O., & Sanya, A.O. (2000). Risk factors for low back pain among office workers in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria. Occupational Medicine, 53, 287-289.

Peper, E., Lin, I., Harvey, R., & Perez, J. (2017). How Posture Affects Memory Recall and Mood. Biofeedback, 45(2), 36-41.

Zafar, H., Albarrati, A., Alghadir, A. H., & Iqbal, Z. A. (2018). Effect of Different Head-Neck Postures on the Respiratory Function in Healthy Males. BioMed research international, 2018, 4518269. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4518269