Why Posture Is Important And How To Perfect It

Written By Victoria Smith / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Posture is usually one of those things that go unnoticed most of the time by most people, but in truth, its effects are always present. Everything from general health to outward appearance is heavily influenced by whether someone is slouched or not. For some, it’s an unseen problem and for others, it’s a big deal, but they feel powerless to do anything about it.

In either case, understanding the fundamentals of posture is an absolute must. Here are some reasons why posture is important and how it can be improved.

Why Posture Is Important

Your spine is aligned with more or less half your body, making it a highly flexible and integral part of many different bodily processes. There are countless nerves and blood vessels that can be affected by the spine’s position. If everything is too tightly conjoined, like when you’re slouching, it can make it difficult to get nerve signals and blood to vital areas where it’s needed.

The back also has a tremendous number of muscles working together to keep you upright. Slouching is an unnatural position to be in, so it places more pressure on some parts of your back than others, leading to a lot of muscle strain and pain.

Keeping your back upright is also a great way to enhance your physical appearance. It’s subtle, but posture impacts how a lot of the rest of your torso and face look, with slouching decreasing overall attractiveness. Upright posture also makes you appear more confident.

How to Improve Posture

While incorrect posture does lead to a significant list of problems, the good news is that fixing it isn’t all that complicated. There are several things you can do to help yourself stand up straight.

See a Chiropractor

Sometimes it’s a good idea to see someone who specializes in back issues to help everything get aligned and maybe give you some pointers. Chiropractors have many tools and procedures they can use to help you achieve an upright posture. Many root causes of incorrect posture are due to a misalignment of the spine or muscle groups that make it difficult to stand up straight.

Chiropractors mainly operate by realigning everything that’s out of place. If you’re really serious about getting your body in correct shape then visiting a Chiropractic Houston clinic should be your first stop.

Make Exercise a Habit

The best way to help yourself stand upright is to make all the muscles that hold up your back stronger. Fortunately, there are a variety of exercises designed for this exact purpose.

There are a whole host of muscle groups that are involved in posture correction, many of which aren’t immediately obvious. Important muscle groups to keep in mind are lower back muscles, upper back muscles, shoulder muscles, neck muscles, abdominal muscles, and even pectoral muscles to some extent.

Once you start working on increasing muscle mass in these areas, you’ll find it considerably easier to stand upright for longer periods of time. Although specific exercises are useful for making these muscle groups stronger, even the peripheral effects of general exercise will go a long way towards improving posture.

Always Keep It in Mind

While ideally, posture isn’t something you would have to think about constantly, the reality is that posture can be a very subtle thing and easy to miss throughout your day-to-day life. It could be that you’re determined to stand or sit up straight, but it’s easy for you to relax without noticing and go back to slouching.

That’s why in order to be successful, you really have to think about how you’re sitting or standing with a great deal of regularity. If possible, position yourself next to a flat surface, such as a wall or the back of a chair, to more easily notice when you’re slinking forward. It may take time, but eventually standing up straight will become second nature to you.

Staying Upright

For those who habitually slouch, standing up straight might appear to be a daunting challenge, but ultimately the problem can be solved relatively easily. All it takes is a little determination and the rewards will overshadow the costs by a very wide margin.

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Written By:

Victoria Smith is a freelance writer who specializes in business and finance with a passion for cooking and wellness. She lives in Austin, Texas where she is currently working towards her MBA. 

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.