In business, excellent posture is a universal sign of confidence and power, yet few truly realize the importance of posture to our health and performance. Good posture goes way beyond simply sitting and standing up straight.
Of the 680 muscles in our body, only a few are specifically designed to hold the body upright and relaxed, but most of us tense dozens of the wrong ones when we sit, stand and move. Over the course of a typical work day this results in an enormous waste of personal energy.
With poor posture, your body begins to adapt to the imbalances. This results in chronically misaligned bones and over stressed muscles. (You know, that tight neck and aching low back many feel after a long day.)
Improper posture also hinders our lungs ability to fully expand, leading to a decrease in vital lung capacity (meaning less oxygen being delivered throughout the body) which leads to increased fatigue and a global reduction in function.
Poor posture limits our range of motion and causes stiffness in our joints, contributing to pain syndromes such as headaches, jaw pain and muscular aches.
Due to this less-efficient positioning we assume, an altered weight-bearing takes place and the load of our bodies and gravity becomes less uniformly distributed. This leads to a severe increase in work load for certain bones and joints. Early osteoarthritis anyone?
The reduction of oxygen and blood flow to the brain can be especially troubling, Remember, the brain requires fuel by way of oxygen and glucose (both delivered via blood) in order to function. As expected, less fuel to our master control center leads to things like impairments in thoughts, concentration and emotional control, decreased creativity, slowed reaction times, reduced alertness and productivity.
It can even foster a tendency towards cynicism, pessimism, drowsiness, and even depression. Think of those four descriptive terms in the previous sentence, and then think of how that looks posturaly. Now think of things like confidence, optimism, pride and positivity and how that traditionally translates into a particular posture. This is not a coincidence, the linkage clearly exists.
The more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy is available for thinking, metabolism and healing. What this means is that you can’t even think you are operating at your highest level while precious resources are being consumed due to poor posture.
With our increasingly seated, computer-attached lifestyles, poor posture has become epidemic with signature forward displaced skulls and hunched shoulders. With a professional, you can identify and begin to correct that head tilt and those unlevel hips and shoulders so that you won’t fall victim to the laundry list of symptoms mentioned above.
Poor posture, particularly the oh so common forward collapse, can also be a sign of decreased function within the brain. This is why that stooped forward posture is a main characteristic in so many neurodegenerative diseases.
Posture is the window to our health and a by-product of a nervous system program. We can tell people to stand and sit up straight all day long, and they will in the moment, but as soon as they give up that consciences thought, they will revert back to what’s comfortable. Until you address and re-program the brain via neurologically based chiropractic care, you will be continually fighting an uphill battle.
Optimal posture consists of no tension or stiffness at all. It provides an exhilarating feeling of moving smoothly and comfortably in space. Doesn’t that sound oh so lovely?
Posture is yet another piece to the holistic puzzle that we account for when treating the entire individual. Do you know and care about someone with suboptimal posture? Maybe it’s you? Remember, just because it’s deemed “normal” by sheer way of numbers doesn’t mean it’s right or mandatory as a part of aging. Let’s get to work on that posture or any other issues that are of concern.
As always, I’m here when you’re ready.
Clarke Chiropractic and Wellness 