Good posture creates a finely aligned body structure. Visualize your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and ears positioned in a straight line without being rigid. This means a weighted cord falls in a straight line from your ear lobe to your ankle bone. Your musculoskeletal structure is balanced, with no muscle or joint stress from an out-of-alignment body component, according to Spine Universe. This optimum posture provides you with at least four recognized benefits.
Efficient Breathing
You can maximize your breathing function by maintaining good posture. Incorrect posture often means you are slumped in your chair or otherwise sitting incorrectly. This means that your lungs must work harder than necessary to breathe a sufficient amount of air. In contrast, good posture encourages your diaphragm and lungs to freely expand and contract, leading to your ability to deeply inhale and exhale.
Reduced Back Pain
Poor posture puts added stress on your back muscles. Continued stress can lead to spine structural changes that may cause constricted nerves, muscle irregularities or disc malfunctions. These individual problems can combine to cause back pain. Correct posture reduces your chances of experiencing back pain, and may reduce the severity of back pain that does occur, says Spine-Health.
Joint Protection
Your good posture helps protect joints commonly used for balance, standing and walking. Hip, knee, back and neck joints may experience less stress if you maintain optimum posture. Weight loss helps reduce these joint problems as well, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
Appearance and Confidence
A posture modification program recommended by your physician, physical therapist or personal trainer can include specific exercises designed to gradually improve your posture. You will likely enhance your physical appearance and experience more overall confidence when your body presents itself correctly.
