How Important is Posture?
Remember when mothers used to nag about not slouching, about sitting up straight, and about walking with your head and shoulders back? This nagging couldn’t be more important in our everyday lives today. These days, it’s even more important since many of us have been obliged to stay home and avoid socializing or now working from home.
This means we might be spending more time slouching on the sofa, in our favorite living room chair, or our new stay-at-home office At Optimal Spine & Posture in Boise, ID, we specialize in helping to restore your normal posture, so you can be healthier, happier, and more confident. Here is why your posture is so important to your overall health, and why you should still strive to follow your mother’s advice!
Alignment
Your spine must be properly aligned in order for you to have good physical balance, so here’s what is meant by proper alignment. Whether you are standing up or sitting down, your head should be facing forward, with your shoulders in line with your ear, and your hips in line with your shoulders. At Optimal Spine & Posture, we often treat patients who have forward head posture, or who have hunched and slouched shoulders. These kinds of spine distortions frequently occur in kids and adults who have prolonged usage of cell phones and computers, and who sit in distorted positions for hours at a time on a daily/weekly basis. When you receive proper corrective chiropractic care, your neck and spine can be restored to proper alignment, and that will make better posture your new normal again.
Balance
One of the most important components of good posture is your balance. You should do some self-checking and determine whether one of your legs is supporting more weight than the other from the front, and whether your weight is evenly distributed on your feet, and not more on your toes or heels from the side.
If you don’t balance your weight correctly, it will cause your spine and your muscles to work much harder throughout the day in order to adjust for whatever imbalance has occurred. You should make a conscious effort to be aware of your balance and your posture whether you’re standing or sitting, to make sure that the major bones and muscle groups of your body are properly aligned. If you suspect that your body may be out of balance, you should set up a consultation with us at Optimal Spine & Posture to determine what is actually causing your imbalance.
Activities
Even on those days that you feel sluggish or lethargic, your body actually needs lots of movement. In fact, your body was designed for consistent and regular movement, and it will only thrive when it has the opportunity to engage in this kind of movement. Without it, the muscles, bones, and tissues of your body will begin to lose pliability, and you will lose a significant level of functionality. Corrective chiropractic care can help restore functionality by engaging in specific exercises and stretches, which will stimulate those muscles that require movement and activity to be healthy.
If you’re not sure about which activities would be appropriate for you, specific exercises can be prescribed to you based on your spine alignment seen on X-rays. Keep in mind that your spinal health and posture is extremely important toward maintaining your state of health and well-being. The more aware you are of your posture, the healthier you will be, and the greater state of your wellness.
