Your Posture Matters

Your posture matters! Here’s why…

We’ve probably all been told to “stand up straight” or to “stop slouching”, at some point in our lives.

What most of us may not realise however, is how damaging a bad posture can be. Not only to our physical health but in many other aspects of our mental health and wellbeing. Even more so as we age!

It’s also a habit we tend to fall into at an early age, which makes it even more important to remedy as quickly as possible. That said, it’s never too late to start!

Why is your posture getting worse?

Unfortunately, modern lifestyles are becoming increasingly sedentary. Whether that’s through the use of transport instead of walking, or sitting at desks or computers for long periods of time. Binging for hours on Netflix, or gaming and social media, or most likely, all of the above are making us lazy!

But all these factors, mean that our postural muscles are being used less and less. This means they tire more easily when they are used. That in turn makes it harder to maintain a good posture when you are standing or sitting, so you slump, slouch more or lean on walls, tables or bus stops when standing.

Think about it when next catch yourself standing around.

What are the consequences?

The relationship you have with your postural muscles may have flickered out over time. However the end result is that poor posture puts your body at risk for spinal wear and tear and chronic pain.

Not only that, having poor posture can affect your health in many ways, some of which may surprise you. While the obvious consequences are the deterioration of your neck and spine and associated ligaments, muscles and tendons. The less obvious consequences are headaches, decreased flexibility, loss of mobility, nerve entrapment, poor balance (potentially leading to falls), bad digestion, difficulty breathing, reduced energy levels, and even negative self-esteem.

It’s surprising how widely the impact of poor posture can stretch.

What can you do?

The good news is that bad posture is just a habit we’ve got into, and as we know, habits can be broken.

Musculoskeletal practitioners like physiotherapists can help by giving you specific exercises to help you strengthen weak muscles and stretch tight ones, thereby improving your posture.

Getting that perfect spine isn’t always achievable or a quick fix. Small changes to daily routine, becoming more body conscious and performing exercises a couple of days a week will go a long way to helping improve your posture. This will help reduce the risk of injury and prevent pain.

We have some advice leaflets giving guidance on the correct set up of your workstation and how to reduce your risk of getting into poor postural habits. You can access these resources by emailing admin@mymobilephsyio.com.au.

As usual, if you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to get in contact with us. We’re here to help.