“A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind.”  Morihei Ueshiba
(A martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art of Aikido.)

Most of us are not aware of the importance of the right body postures. We never ever realised there is something like right and wrong postures and we can do something about the wrong postures to make it right.

Posture at birth + Faulty Lifestyle = Wrong and Poor Posture

Posture at birth + Exercise + Correct Lifestyle = Good and Correct Posture

(Credit: thephysiocompany.com)

“Good posture requires a person to maintain the alignment of certain body parts; poor posture is often acknowledged as a cause of musculoskeletal pain, joint restriction or general discomfort.” Jane Johnson, Author Posture Assessment

To understand the importance of the right posture lets first know the problems we could face due to wrong body postures.

1. Lower back pain
2. The compression of the posterior disc
3. Spondylolisthesis, the condition in which one vertebral body is slipped forward over another.
4. The lumbar spine loses arch and can lead to bulging or prolapsed
5. Prolapsed intervertebral disc in the lumbar spine and lower cervical segments
6. Early spondylotic changes can lead to neck pain
7. There are some other disorders related to the spine due to the poor postures.

Apart from the direct and immediate health impact due to wrong postures long term impact is all the more worrying. These are:

8. Change in the spine curve. The changes in the spinal curve can cause long-term pain and discomfort, prevent the spine from being able to naturally absorb shock and maintain proper balance.

9. Poor Digestion

10. Increased chances of cardiovascular problems

11. Varicose Veins

12. Chronic back pain and disc degeneration

These are enough reasons to wake up and act to correct the body postures and set it right.

There are several types of posture imbalances.  These are;

• Lumbar-Pelvic i.e. Exaggerated Lordotic Posture, Flat Back Posture and Sway Back Postures
• Thoracic – Kyphotic
• Cervical
• Thoraco-lumbar – Scoliosis

Causes:

Some abnormalities are born defects while most are lifestyle defects.

• Lumbar-Pelvic: Obesity, Pregnancy, Faulty Foot Biometrics, Slouching (Stand, move, or sit in a lazy, dropping way. Usually we are in these postures while reading, watching TV and during meetings – See picture below).
• Thoracic: Slouching, old age, heavy bags on Shoulder, Chest and back muscle imbalance.
• Cervical: Forward neck postures for desk job workers, poor reading habits, operating computers.
• Thoraco-Lumbar: From the birth, degeneration of the spine, Osteoporosis, Neuromuscular issues and other injuries.

                                                 Slouching  Position                                            Correct Position

These are some of the causes. However, mostly lifestyle, ignorance about our walking and sitting postures are the major causes of these abnormalities.

The best part is all these abnormalities can be set right by doing the right kind of exercises and stretching under the guidance of a physiotherapist or a trained fitness coach. Awareness about sitting, walking postures during the day can go a long way in avoiding these abnormalities.

“Postural exercises such as yoga, Pilates, Egoscues, Alexander technique and martial arts are about avoiding pain and injury as much as helping you feel good. Attractive men and women have good posture.” Liz Miller (A British physician, surgeon.)

Now it is up to you how to become attractive with good postures and in the process avoid the possibility of multiple posture related disorders.

Know more about Spine-health: Why knowing about Spine is so important? 

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