Why Good Posture Matters

According to Harvard Medical School good posture matters because poor posture can affect you from head to toe, contributing to a number of problems. 

Poor posture can create muscle tension which can decrease range of motion (how far a joint can move in any direction). For example, overly tight, shortened hip muscles may tug your upper body forward and disrupt your posture. Overly tight chest muscles can pull your shoulders forward creating tension in the neck and shoulders.  Therefore, good posture is important to maintain loose and freely moving muscle tissue and joints.  

The Mayo Clinic links the following health issues with poor posture: 

•   Migraines and tension headaches caused  by pressure on nerves from strained muscles at the back of your head, neck, upper back and jaw. 

• Jaw pain from a forward head posture may strain the muscles under your chin causing your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) to become overworked (resulting in pain, fatigue, popping, difficulty opening your mouth and headaches).

• Knee, hip and foot pain from muscle weakness, tightness or imbalances causing lack of flexibility and poor alignment of your hips, knees and feet.  This can also prevent your kneecap from sliding  smoothly over your femur resulting in poor foot/ ankle alignment and can contribute to plantar fasciitis (a condition in which the thick band of tissue connecting your heel to the ball of your foot becomes inflamed and causes pain).

• Shoulder, neck and back pain (due to tightness or stiffness that can cause injury and other conditions such as arthritis, herniated disks and osteoporosis). 

• Shoulder pain and impingement (muscle tightness, weakness or imbalances associated with poor posture can cause the tendons in your rotator cuff to become irritated or pinch the tendons and cause pain and weakness).

• Fatigue and breathing problems (poor postural habits may restrict your rib cage and compress your diaphragm. This can reduce lung capacity, leading to shallow or labored breathing, fatigue and lack of energy, which can affect your overall productivity).

Improving your posture can help prevent or reverse many of these conditions. You'll be amazed to see how your quality of life can improve — simply by standing or sitting a little taller. 

So , what does proper posture look like?  

Luckily, the Mayo Clinic offers a simple “wall test” to check your posture.  

Wall Test:  Posture Test

• Stand with your heels 2-4 inches from the wall and the back of your head, shoulder blades and buttocks touching the wall.

• You should be able to just barely slide a flat hand between your lower back and the wall.

• Too much space behind your lower back?  Draw your belly button toward your spine, flattening the curve in your back and gently bringing your lower back closer to the wall.

• Not enough space behind your lower back?  Arch your back so that your hand can slide behind you.

Good posture means:

• chin parallel to the floor

• shoulders even (roll your shoulders up, back, and down to help achieve this)

• neutral spine (no overemphasizing the low back curve)

• arms at your sides with elbows straight and even

• abdominal muscles braced

• hips even

• knees even and pointing straight ahead

• body weight distributed evenly on both feet

3 Posture Corrective Exercises: 

Try these tips from the mayoclinic.org for improving your posture while standing, sitting and lying down (with a focus on spinal mobility and breath work).

• While standing/ walking

  • stand tall 

  • inhale and roll your shoulders up and back

  • exhale and roll your shoulders down

• Seated pelvic tilts 

  • sit on the edge of a chair

  • place your hands on your thighs and rest your feet on the floor

  • inhale and rock your pelvis and ribs forward while you open your chest and look upward

  • Exhale and rock your pelvis and spine back and look down toward the floor

• Wake-up or bedtime bridges

  • Lie on your back in bed with your knees bent and your feet resting on the mattress

  • Inhale 

  • slowly exhale and curl your tailbone to lift your buttocks and spine (one vertebra at a time) until your shoulder blades bear your weight

  • Pause 

  • Inhale

  • slowly exhale as you roll your spine back down