Your posture is important in keeping not only your back but your whole body balanced and supported to help prevent unnecessary stress and pain. Good posture protects against injury and provides shock absorption. It is your base of support for standing, sitting, lying down and participating in physical activity. Good posture means more than just keeping your back straight.
Identification
Posture is your body's position against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Good posture is where the least amount of strain is placed on your supporting muscles and ligaments. It keeps bones and joints in correct alignment, decreases abnormal wearing on joints and prevents backache and muscular pain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Good posture can also help keep the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions, decrease stress on ligaments and prevent fatigue of muscles preventing strain.
Significance
Having good posture is often associated with having a straight back. Technically, a healthy back has three natural curves in the spine. Standing up straight actually means these curves are maintained correctly. There should be an inward or forward curve at your neck and an outward or backward curve at your upper back, according to MayoClinic.com. Last, there should be an inward curve at your lower back. Poor posture does not follow the natural curves and can cause muscle pulls or pain.
Execution
To sit correctly, sit straight with your shoulders back and your buttocks touching the back of the chair. All three curves should be present and a rolled up towel against your lower back can help. Keep your body weight evenly on both hips and your feet flat on the floor. Your knees should be at a right angle and not crossed. To stand with good posture, balance your weight evenly on both feet with your knees slightly relaxed. Keep your shoulders back but relaxed, and hold your chest high. Pull in your abdomen and buttocks. When sleeping, regardless of your position, your pillow should be under your head only.
Considerations
Abnormal curvature of the spine is known as scoliosis. It can occur during a growth spurt before puberty. Most cases are mild and have no known cause. More severe cases can make it difficult to breathe and may require wearing a back brace. Other posture problems include lordosis and sway back. Lordosis is a pronounced hollowing of the lower back from an overly outward tilted pelvis, according to the Sports Injury Bulletin website. Sway back is when the pelvis moves forward and produces an exaggerated extension of the lower back. A flat back has an overly inward tilted pelvis.
