Your posture is how you carry yourself or how you tend to hold your body. It not only creates an impression of your self-concept, but it also determines the alignment of your bone structure. This can cause negative effects if you walk around with incorrect posture. It is important to keep your muscles and bones straight to prevent problems with fatigue, pain, your spinal column and range of motion.
Fatigue
Fatigue is a common side effect of poor posture. Correct bone and muscle alignment is necessary for solid support for movement. Bad posture throws your skeletal system off kilter, causing some muscles to work harder to compensate and thereby resulting in a feeling of fatigue.
Pain
For the same reasons that fatigue results from bad posture, pain is another common side effect. The extra stress on certain muscles increases the likelihood of strained ligaments or pinched nerves. Bad posture may also cause pain in various muscles of your body, such as in the neck and shoulders. According to the American College of Physicians, tension headaches can result from the misalignment of poor posture.
Spine Problems
According to MayoClinic.com, good posture is necessary for a strong spinal column. Inter-vertebral discs can protrude or wear down due to bad posture. These herniated discs put pressure on the spinal cord that may result in pain, limited movement or feeling of numbness.
Range of Motion
Over an extended period of time, your range of motion may be affected due to bad posture. This refers to your muscles and joints and their ability to move. Since poor posture changes your body's alignment, other muscles compensate to keep you from falling. This limits your range of motion as your muscles and ligaments become tight and certain body parts are restricted from movement.
