Good posture

Do you ever find yourself slumping over your keyboard? Your controller? Do you ever pause to consider how poor everyone’s posture has gotten over the last fifty or sixty years? I had never really thought about it before and I’m sure most of you haven’t either, but now that I am I find it somewhat depressing. Poor posture can lead to a lot of unpleasant problems in your body and it is something that can be corrected with some effort.

My posture used to be fantastic when I was in ballet classes, but I’ve found myself slumping more and more over the years as my good habits started to fade. Recently I have begun practicing good posture again and I find it challenging to break bad habits, but rewarding.

Proper posture or “neutral spine” is the proper alignment of the body between postural extremes. In it’s natural alignment the spine is not straight, but a gently curved in a very slight backward S-shape. Good posture optimizes breathing and affects the circulation of bodily fluids. The body is able to function best in its strongest, most balanced position: stress to joints, muscles, vertebrae and tissues is minimized.

In contrast, poor posture increases stress on your back and causes discomfort and damage. When the spine is left in poor posture for extended periods of time, it raises the diaphragm, which prevents the body from taking a full breath; this can lead to reduced oxygenation throughout the body. It can also compromise the internal organs performance by putting pressure throughout the abdomen. People who sit for long hours are susceptible to a number of misalignments.

Follow these tips to align your body. If you are standing, skip the “sit bones” portion.

• Sit on your “sit bones”; these are the sharp bones are found on the back underside of your pelvic bone. Notice when you press yourself into sitting on these bones that your body starts to naturally align itself.
• Ears should align with your shoulders; shoulders should align with your hips.
• Let your shoulders relax, soften your jaw and lower your chin. Take a few breaths.

Although difficult at first, try to remind myself whenever you find yourself slumping throughout the day. Eventually you will retrain your muscles to hold this position without extra thought or effort.

Improving your posture may improve aches and pains in your back and neck. If you are experiencing extreme pain or discomfort, please go see a doctor peoples!