Poor Posture…an epidemic?

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary an epidemic is a widespread occurrence “affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time”.

Poor posture is an epidemic that is affecting people throughout our society, both old and young alike. Not sure you agree, go out to where the people are and watch them stand, sit, and walk… you will quickly see that you are surrounded by people who have poor posture…maybe to include a glance in your mirror.

So okay…poor posture maybe an epidemic. But does it really matter…isn’t the rounding of the back-just a sign of old age? Or maybe the dropping of the head forward is a result of our “techy” society and the hours spent looking at a electronic devise and is no big deal??

The reality is that poor posture affects not just our appearance but also our health.

Poor posture can be reason for the neck and back pain you are experiencing. If you are sitting for hours in a slouched position (your back forms a C-shape) at a computer or in a soft chair, the difficulty you have breathing could be directly related to poor posture. Feeling down, a bit depressed or just have little energy, these could stem from your body being out of alignment because of poor posture.

Alright…poor posture can make us look old and can bring about pain throughout our body, so what can we do about it??

I thought you would never ask…

First, give yourself a checkup every day…a posture checkup that is.

Try this, stand with your heels a few inches from a wall and your bum touching the wall. Now slide your hand between your lower back and the wall. If there is a small gap (2 inches) great, but if there is quite a bit of space between your hand and your back, you probably need to work on your posture. Another place to check is your neck. Now, slide your hand between the wall and the back of your neck. Again, a small gap (2 inches) is no problem, but if your neck or the back of your head is several inches from the wall, you should be working to improve your posture.

Second, you may need to change your sitting habits…both how long you sit and the way you sit.

It is easy to let hours go by without getting up and walking around. Try setting an alarm to go off every 30 minutes or so. Then get up, walk a few feet, do a few stretches before you sit down again.

Next, look at the way you are sitting…are you slouching, is your back rounded, or your head hanging forward? This maybe comfortable for a while, but soon this poor posture will lead to pain in your back, hip, or neck or all three. 

When you sit, try bending at your hips not your waist. Place your hips at the back of the chair seat (if it helps…picture you have a tail, you want it sticking out the back of the chair not sitting on it). By doing this your back, shoulders and neck will be in line, you will have better posture and be more comfortable.

Third, move more and be intentional.

By not moving, our posture will get worse, but just moving more will improve our posture. I am not talking about starting a new crazy exercise regime but building movement into your day. Park in the far end of the lot…forget a few things on purpose and do extra trips up and down the stairs…you get the idea.

Fourth, doing Essentrics daily can change your posture and your life (😊).

Throughout every Essentrics workout we emphasize good alignment from the feet up. Poor posture is a result of one or more joints being out of alignment. Positioning our feet correctly – toes facing forward, soles of your feet flat on the ground (not rolling in or out), will lead to full body realignment and better posture. 

In Essentrics we cue “pulling up” of the spine and core, as well as, “pulling out” with our arms and legs. This helps to decompress tight and locked joints that can be the result of poor posture. 

Maybe the best way practicing Essentrics can help you is by encouraging you to move in slow, gentle, RELAXED full body rotational movements that help return your joints to their natural range of motion.

If you want to enjoy life more and live with less pain…pay attention to your posture, sit well, move more, and do Essentrics!