Why is Good Posture so Important?

In today’s lifestyle, we spend a large portion of our day, sitting. We sit when commuting, working in an office, studying in a classroom, and even relaxing at home. As per a recent study, on an average we spend more than 50% of our day, sitting. Continuous and prolonged sitting can cause several adverse health effects like:

Experiencing Muscle pain, pulls, cramps
Fatigue and tension in the neck, shoulders and back
Frequent Headaches
Increased risk of spinal disc compression
Reduction in heart and lung efficiency
Digestive problems
Lower levels of fitness, resulting in mobility disorders
With so much of our time spent sitting, being mindful of a correct sitting position, would greatly help in maintaining good posture.

Importance of Good Posture

When we sit or stand, our skeletal muscles help keep our body in a certain position. This is referred to as our posture.

Correct alignment of our body, supported with the right amount of muscle tension, results in good posture. A good posture greatly relies on strong and flexible muscles. Stiff, weak, tired or tight muscles contribute greatly towards poor posture, and misalignment of the spine, and body. Maintaining a good posture is of primary importance of your health & well being. It ensures that your bones are well aligned and in sync with the rest of your body, while the tension in your muscles and ligaments is properly distributed. It helps keeps our body parts in their correct and optimum positions with minimal strain.

Over a long period of time, bad posture leads to joint and muscle pain in the shoulders, back, neck, and elsewhere in the body.

Knowing and understanding what a good posture looks like, and by following a few simple steps, most people can self-correct and achieve good posture.

Making additional lifestyle changes, such as doing exercises, stretching, movement breaks throughout the day, and taking supplements, can help too.