5 Benefits of Good Posture: Why You Should Follow This Advice

When you were a kid, your parents told you to sit up straight and keep your shoulders back. Now that you’re an adult, you wonder whether that was good advice. Is posture really that important? The short answer is yes, it is! But what exactly does sitting or standing straight do for you? Here are just five benefits of good posture!

Less Back Pain

When your spine is off-kilter, especially for long periods of time, the muscles surrounding your spine have to work harder to restore balance. You can experience tightness in these muscles, even if you aren’t exerting yourself very hard. Keeping the proper posture uses your muscles in a more efficient way, so you don’t feel overly tight.

In addition, the spinal nerve is protected by discs or thin pads that cushion between the vertebrae. When one of these discs comes out of place, either by bulging or pressing on the nerve from poor posture, the back pain can be excruciating.

Fewer Headaches and Neck Pain

Even if you don’t experience back pain as a result of poor posture, you can have discomfort elsewhere along your spine. In fact, the way you position and hold your head, regardless of whether you’re standing, sitting, or even lying down, can lead to straining the muscles in the neck and upper back. This often leads to neck pain and headaches. On the other hand, when the weight of your head is perfectly aligned, you can focus and not have neck pain or headaches.

Increased Lung Capacity

If you’ve ever tried to move in a tight space, you know that air flows better when it’s not constrained. When your lungs are restricted from hunching over, there is less space for the air to fill. On the other hand, good posture allows more area and capacity for the lungs to inflate, helping you breathe easier and enabling you to do more activities.

Better Circulation and Digestion

Similar to lung capacity, your other organs tend to function best when they have sufficient room. The abdomen bends and compresses, reducing blood flow as well as the digestive system. As a result, you can experience digestive distress, stomach aches, and other side effects that you may not initially think are associated with your spinal alignment! Maintaining good posture gives your organs ample room to function as they are intended.

More Energy

Have you wondered why you feel so tired after sitting all day at work? If you have bad posture, some muscles have had to work overtime to support your body, leading to premature weariness. If you maintain good posture, you can use your muscles for exercise or other activities with less fatigue.

In this instance, mother or father knows best. It turns out that your parents were right to remind you about proper posture. Standing or sitting with your back straight isn’t always easy, but, as you’ve learned, going without it brings many more problems!

About the Author

Dr. Chad Wills has been a chiropractor for more than 20 years now. As a graduate of Life Chiropractic University, he has continued to learn advanced techniques and has become certified in Chiropractic Biophysics, the most studied protocol in the field. If you have questions about posture, you can contact Dr. Wills at his practice, Wills Chiropractic in Naples online or by calling 239-331-6060.