Bad posture can potentially be the source of chronic, irritating pain. The most common sites of posture-related injury are neck and back muscle pain and knee ligament pain. In a standing or seated position, your body automatically adjusts your posture so that your eyes maintain a level position with the horizon or environment in front of you, regardless of the strain imposed upon your muscles and ligaments.
Sit-Down Activities
Sitting at a desk over a prolonged period of time is a pain-inducing, posture-wrecking activity. If you are not conscientious about keeping your ears over your shoulders and your shoulders back, this gradually curls your pelvis so it tilts backward and hunches your shoulders forward. A full-time desk job increases the likelihood for developing pain between your shoulders and up through your neck. Your trapezius muscle becomes exhausted from holding your head up when your shoulders are rounded forward; rounded shoulders force your ears and head to move forward, in front of your shoulders. Set a timer on your computer every hour to remind you to get up, walk around and stretch for five minutes. Keep a note or a picture as a visual cue to sit up straight and pull your shoulders back.
Lack of Strength and Endurance
Muscles are made for moving. As you mature beyond 30 years old, you begin to lose your muscle mass. Hence, muscular strength and endurance decrease, increasing the likelihood of poor posture and development of pain in muscles and ligaments. Furthermore, if you exercise with incorrect form and work one muscle group more than the opposing muscle group, this strains muscles or sprains ligaments, causing pain. Pay particular attention to your upper back muscles and abdominal muscles. Strong upper back muscles pull your shoulder blades together, reducing the potential for poor posture between the shoulder blades and neck. Fit abdominal muscles help maintain the natural curve of the spine near the pelvis. Your exercise program should include one-arm dumbbell rows for your back and hanging knee raises for your abs.
Footwear Considerations
Poor posture at the ankles, knees and hips has a domino effect upward through the joints and muscles of the upper body. High-heeled shoes spell disaster for correct posture. You may not feel the pain at the time, but every day wearing such shoes changes your body's natural alignment at your calves, knees, hips, pelvis, lower back, upper back, and neck and head. Eventually, you may develop either hyper-extended knees or hyper-flexed knees, and exaggerated curves along your spinal column. Such curves include a hunched back or an anterior tilt of the pelvis. These changes along the spine stretch ligaments and place unnecessary pressure on muscles, causing pain throughout your body. To reduce the negative impact on your posture, avoid high-heeled shoes and wear non-heeled, supportive shoes as much as possible.
Free-Weights vs. Machine Weights
Working out with machine weights is a good strategy if you have been sedentary for a long time, are recovering from an injury or if you are a senior citizen. However, you should eventually graduate to using dumbbells and barbells more often than machine weights; healthy teens, young adults and mature adults should begin by working out with free weights. Lifting barbells and dumbbells activates joint-stabilizing muscles in addition to the muscle you are training, enhancing the strength and endurance of the muscles and ligaments throughout your body and reducing the occurrence of pain in these tissues.
References
- "Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Sandra J. Shultz, et al.; 2005
- "Equal But Not The Same! Considerations for Training Females"; Paul Chek; 1996
- American College of Sports Medicine's Certified News; "Training for Independence"; Thomas P. Mahady: January-March 2007
