Posture is everything

All of us have been at some point in our childhood been scolded for not sitting straight and slouching. How we hated to be told that! I remember a friend’s mother even gifted him a DVD of the movie ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ on his birthday.

Sometimes adults can be really mean, but then posture is something to be taken seriously, as it could have serious implications not just on health but for your entire wellbeing. Good posture if instilled right from childhood provides innumerable physical and psychological benefits. Most of us however have to go back to standing against the wall and re-learn what granny always used to say.

Physical benefits of right posture

No pains: Good posture minimizes risk of neck and joint pains. Neck pain is a common malady in our times and most of it comes from back-neck posture from sitting at a desk in front of the computer for too long. Forward head position puts more weight on neck leading to neck pain and back pain. Long-term abnormal posture will lead to sprains, strain, arthritis, instability. Avoid slumped position. For good neck posture, do not take your head forward, the head should be in line with the back and shoulders. Ensure that the shoulders remain squared back and not slumping.  If you have always been suffering from neck pain, first of all get it checked by your doctor to ensure it isn’t cervical spondylosis or arthritis of the neck. It is more likely, however, that the pain could just be from bad posture. In men, the ‘Dowager’s hump’ is the most common condition where the shoulder rounds up to actually form a hunch.

Great for internal organs: Good posture also holds the internal organs together and even improve their functioning. When you are all slouched over, the pressure that you exert on the internal organs is higher. It can lead to constipation, digestion problems, poor circulation to organs and hampers elimination of wastes. Correct your posture to keep all these problems at bay.

Mental benefits

Good posture enhances confidence, and also helps to feel less anxious, and relaxed. The state of the mind is often reflected in the way the body is held. Conversely, mental patterns can be changed by working on the body. There are some exercises which will help you gain good posture and help you reclaim lost ground.  As you steadily go towards optimum posture you will discover your concentration and alertness levels increasing. Your mental performance and brain agility will have a marked improvement as well.

What is good posture?

Posture includes standing & sitting postures. Good posture is not all about keeping the back 100% straight. That is just not natural as the spine has some natural curves. So, ramrod straightness is not a good posture. Remember, there should be a small hollow at the base of the neck a little roundedness in the middle of the spine and a little hollow at the base. That’s the way the spine normally is.

Standing tall: Whilst standing, keep the feet with the toes pointed out straight with at least a shoulder width distance between the feet. Try to raise your rib cage high up, keep the chin slightly tucked in so that the top of the head is the highest point in your frame.

When perfect posture is attained the ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles are all aligned in one straight line. The entire weight of the body is to be borne by the heels and not the balls of the feet. That is one common mistake that most people make. To know if the weight is being distributed evenly or not all you have to do is to let someone gently prod you, and if you easily lose balance, then your weight is at the balls of your feet.  With some practice you will be able to master the art of the fine gait.

Sitting straight: Sitting posture poses another challenge to most people. It is very important to sit right, otherwise that’s asking for 75% of the aches and pains that most people have. When seated, remember to keep your feet flat on the floor with the toes evenly spread out. Now let your knees be bent at a 90 degree angle with your hips.

Remember the slight curve at the end of the spine? Try to arch your lower back a little. Though just a little bit, mind you, or you could end up with lower back pain. Just go to a straight position from an arched one and then again, give it a slight arch to attain ‘seated spine neutrality’. Don’t forget to keep tabs to ensure you aren’t being a slouch ahead again. Get off your chair every once a while to relieve the back.

Exercises to improve posture

Stand with head, shoulders, and back against the wall and your heels about 5-6 inches forward. Draw in the lower abdominal muscles, decreasing the arch in your lower back. Push away from the wall and try to maintain this upright, vertical alignment. That’s good posture.

You can try walking while balancing a book on your head. Yogic exercises and Surya namaskars can also help greatly in correcting any postural imbalances. The harder you try, the straighter you get and never forget the classic adage - hold your head high, throw your shoulders back and walk tall like a man.