Why is Posture So Important?

Probably from the time we were all children, we have been advised by parents and others to not slouch and to sit up straight, or maybe to stand up straight. Maintaining good posture goes far beyond showing good manners, because it’s really very important to your general health and well-being. Since most people have been relatively confined during the coronavirus impact, it’s very likely that you spent more time on the couch or slouched in a chair, just relaxing. If this has gotten you into bad habits that you’d like to reverse, you should make a point of consulting with the experts at Live Aligned Chiropractic in Onalaska, Wisconsin, to get you back on track. Here are some things you should know about why posture is so important to your health, and why you really do need to maintain good posture.

Proper alignment

If your spine isn’t properly aligned, you won’t be able to maintain good balance, and you will generally experience more aches and pains in your back than you should. While standing up or sitting down, you should be mindful of the elements of good alignment. This includes having your head upright and looking forward, your shoulders thrust slightly rearward, and your knees and hips should be straight.

At the Live Aligned, we often encounter patients with hunched-over shoulders as well as a forward head tilt, both of which are bad for alignment, but which can be corrected. In many cases, this misalignment results from excessive use of electronic devices, and this usage probably increased during the period of confinement due to coronavirus. When you get good chiropractic care from a clinic like ours, it will be much easier for you to maintain proper alignment with your head, your neck, and your spine, and this will improve your posture as well as your general health.

Good balance

Another major component of good posture is having proper balance. You can check whether your own balance is proper by standing up and determining whether your weight is equally distributed on both legs. If you’re constantly in the habit of putting more weight on one or the other leg, you won’t have good balance. This will cause your bones and muscles to compensate for the imbalance, and it will cause strains on both of them. It’s a good idea to get into the habit of maintaining good balance, so that you can minimize stress and strain on the muscles and joints of your body.

Good posture through activity

Your body has actually been designed to move about frequently and to become healthier with frequent movement. During the confinement of the coronavirus period, just about everyone has become much less active, and therefore probably less healthy as well. As you go through the transition to a more normal lifestyle, don’t forget to include lots of activity to help your body recover from the effects of confinement. Regular exercise, regular stretching, and periodic chiropractic care can be just what you need to ensure that your body returns to normal function and better health.

There is a whole world of activities and exercises that you can become involved with. Even if jogging and bicycling aren’t your cup of tea, there are loads of workout programs you can find online, all of which can be done in the comfort and privacy of your own home. This will comply with the requirements of social distancing, and it will still get your body all the activity and exercise it really craves. This activity will be extremely beneficial for your posture and for the health of your spine, so make sure to feature it in your return to a normal lifestyle.