Poor posture can affect us all, and most of us are guilty of it at some point. Whether you’re always tired, have a chronic injury, or have been slouching for so long that your body assumes that’s the way it should be, poor posture can create several negative responses and symptoms.
Learning proper posture and re-educating your body may sound daunting, but the benefits of correct posture can be game-changing for your quality of life. Believe it or not, with just a few tweaks in your daily routine, you may be standing taller before you know it.
Chiropractic care is a safe, reliable resource for obtaining good posture and ensuring your spine and musculoskeletal system are well-functioning. Plus, chiropractors provide invaluable insight and guidance into your unique lifestyle so you have the tools to maintain it.
This post will detail the following:
- Reasons we have poor posture
- The side effects of poor posture
- Tips to promote good posture
- Chiropractic methods to achieve good posture
- And more
You may not even realize that inadequate or unsafe posture is affecting your life. Read on to learn more about posture, including how to secure it, how to keep it, and how chiropractic care can help it.
Common Reasons for Poor Posture & Why You Should Fix It Now
Poor posture doesn’t discriminate against lifestyle, habits, age, or anything else. It can affect falling toddlers, high school football players, desk workers, and CrossFitters. The problem is that the dysfunction is often ignored or unknown.
Understanding how your body and mind function and perform will help you better determine whether you adhere to bad posture.
Common reasons for poor posture include:
- Leading an inactive lifestyle
- Slouching your shoulders while working on a computer or sitting for extended periods
- Scrolling on a handheld device for extended periods
- An injury to the spine, such as a disc herniation or degenerative disc disease
- Imbalances or conditions involving soft tissues, such as arthritis
- Mental stress
- Standing for extended periods
- Wearing improper footwear for your activities or wearing high heels for long periods, especially while standing
Typically, we don’t consider our posture until we experience discomfort, making it easy for the habit to sneak up on us. However, once you know you adhere to it, you should immediately take steps to correct it.
Bad posture offers several adverse side effects, including:
- Poor digestion
- Insufficient blood and oxygen circulation
- An inefficient body
- Fatigue
- Loss of focus and productivity
- Less energy
- Bad mood and heightened stress levels
- Pain
- Inefficient breathing patterns
- Muscle weakness or tense muscles
- Compromised soft tissues, nerves, joints, and spine
- And more
When you utilize good posture, you receive numerous health benefits, including:
- An efficiently functioning body
- Reduced risk of injury
- Good circulation
- Improved sleep quality
- Enhanced sports performance
- Improved focus and energy levels
- Better protected soft tissues, joints, and spine
- Reduced risk for back, neck, and shoulder pain
- Less pressure on the spine and its surrounding soft tissues
- Reduced mental stress
- And others
Good posture not only offers these significant advantages but also enhances our appearance, projecting confidence and preparedness for life’s challenges.
Chiropractor-Approved Tips to Help Prevent Poor Posture
Your local chiropractor will provide a comprehensive assessment and explain how the interconnectedness of your body’s systems should work so you can proactively protect yourself. You’ll also receive guidance on how to get and keep proper posture.
Chiropractor-approved actions to start today that will facilitate good posture include:
- Keep your back straight, and don’t slouch or slump the shoulders forward- set a reminder in your phone until this becomes a habit
- Ensure you’re not pushing your chin forward as you sit or stand
- Use good lighting while working on a computer so you don’t lean forward unnaturally
- Set up an ergonomic workstation
- Exercise and stretch daily; consider yoga for spine movement and ensure you work and stretch your neck muscles regularly to help strengthen them
- Core strengthening will protect the spine and reduce the risk of curvature
- Always wear correct and appropriate shoes (get out of the heels)
- Stand up tall with your shoulders back and your spine in one straight line
- Take a break from the screentime and scrolling
- Sleep on a supportive mattress
Life often involves long hours at a desk, watching and reading on your mobile device, and dancing in heels. These activities may be integral to your routine. The key is not to avoid them but to learn how to properly support your body before, during, and after such activities. By doing so, you can develop safe postural habits that align with your lifestyle.
Visit Our Burlington Chiropractic Clinic & Learn Good Posture for Good Health
The tips above are great, safe, and natural ways to help support your posture. But if you’ve been using bad posture for years, you may need more effective support from our Burlington chiropractor.
Our chiropractic solutions effectively support your needs so you can heal and retrain your body responsibly.
Chiropractic services we use to treat imbalances related to poor posture as they encourage good posture include:
Combining our in-clinic solutions with take-home postural tips and guidance can reduce your risk of injury or re-injury and improve your life quality tenfold. Let our Burlington chiropractic team help you thrive on every level.
