Poor posture and its implications for health

Often we do not give importance to our posture and position, however, poor posture can cause harm to our health, such as chronic aches, pains and tightness.

Maintaining good posture is essential for good health, such as good nutrition, regular exercise and adequate rest time. Today many jobs involve spending hours sitting in a chair and doing this activity improperly can cause contracture in the neck.

Good posture can not only improve our breathing capacity and avoid the appearance of muscle pain and spine aches, it can also decompress the organs of our digestive system, thus facilitating the digestive process and even giving us a more slender figure.

What can it cause?

Staying in one position for a long time or having poor posture can cause overload in some regions of the body, causing various problems such as injuries and pain. Generally the first reactions occur at the waist, the dorsal region, neck and trapezius muscles.

Lumbar pain

Usually this occurs when spending much a lot of time sitting hunched, or when standing for a long time with the waist at an uneven angle. Another cause can be carrying heavy weight loads, as this pain often radiates to the buttocks, and sometimes even to the legs.

Discomfort in the central area of the back

This is a common occurrence when there is an exaggerated dorsal curve, for example if we sit with our shoulders too far forward, or when standing pulling the belly inwards. It can also happen when we remain standing for too long.

Pain in the neck and trapezius muscles

The most common causes for this are excessive joint support of the last cervical vertebrae caused by frequently looking ahead for a long period of time. This also usually occurs due to increased tension in the neck, which is usually associated with these painful contractures. The muscle spasms usually occur when we perform an activity intensely and/or improperly, and the spasm functions as a stress response.

How can I develop good posture?

Good posture is achieved by symmetrically aligning all members of the body and the head and is linked to the axis of gravity. A correct posture should not have exaggerated curves, and the weight should be evenly distributed between each of the legs.

Benefits of good posture

Having a good posture benefits our bodies and even our minds.
Improves our breathing: Increases lung capacity, which in turn helps improve circulation.
Helps balance the body: Lifts our mood and also gives us a more stylised appearance.
Prevents fatigue and chronic fatigue: Since it improves our breathing, our body functions are also optimized, thus allowing us to expend energy more efficiently and promoting a good mood.
Flattens abdomen and lifts the bust: Good posture can give you the figure you have always wanted – when you straighten the coccyx and the pelvis, the belly automatically does the same. When we are well erect, our bust stands firmer and makes us look slimmer.
Generates more confidence: An upright position and good posture conveys the idea to our brain that things are better.
Prevents injuries, muscle aches and back problems: A good body positioning  prevents the occurrence of muscle pain, such as back and neck pain, and future problems related to poor posture.
Generates harmony to our body: It promotes better breathing and prevents related muscle pain; good posture makes us feel good and the problems caused by poor posture and stress are avoided.

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