Poor posture is a problem that plagues many Americans, and there are things we do each day that can affect it. Whether you’re sitting at a desk all day, wearing incorrect footwear, or suffering from some other medical condition that causes bad posture, there’s usually a reason for it.
Table of Contents
- Causes Of Bad Posture
- The Dangers Of Bad Posture
- How To Sit With Good Posture
- A Practice That Is Worth The Effort
Just by looking at someone, you can usually see their posture, and those with poor posture usually look worse than they probably are feeling inside. Poor posture can make you look overweight, unhealthy, and lacking confidence, so it’s an issue that affects many parts.
There are also some surprising causes and risks involved with bad posture, and it’s extremely important to pay attention to correcting sitting posture positions if this relates to you. Thankfully, you can do some easy things that will improve your posture over time and make you less susceptible to the risks.
Causes Of Bad Posture
Some people can’t remember when their posture might have been good, and others will know exactly what caused their poor stance. Several things can lead to poor posture, though, and it could be a mixture of more than one. Here are some common causes that could have impacted yours:
- A repetitive motion done with minimal breaks, like working long hours in a warehouse and bending over to get things
- Staying still for long periods of time like working at a computer desk, without stretching or taking regular breaks for physical activity
- Using a computer or gaming system without correct ergonomic support from your chair
- Backpacks that are poorly made or too heavy for the individual
- Conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system of the body
- Negative emotions like anger, sadness, and stress can all lead to poor posture
There are many reasons why one might have poor posture, and it could have begun quite early in life. Though many assume there are no serious effects that can come of it, there are actually many dangers that can occur if you don’t work at straightening out your own posture.
The Dangers Of Bad Posture
Besides the obvious effect of bad posture and how it affects the way we look, other serious dangers could be happening. These are just some of the other symptoms and side effects that you might experience if you don’t correct your posture:
Indigestion And Heartburn
The way that we sit has a lot of impact on how our food is digested. Sitting with poor posture or being hunched over means your body will struggle to digest food and will ultimately lead to heartburn, indigestion, and other related conditions.
Incontinence
Stress incontinence happens when you laugh, jump, cough, or do something else that’s mildly stressful on the body and causes you to urinate. Sitting with poor posture actually makes this worse and is not recommended for anyone already suffering from the condition.
Constipation
Posture isn’t just important as we’re walking or sitting on our computers. It also matters when we’re in the bathroom. The incorrect posture while sitting on a toilet can actually lead to constipation.
Spinal Problems
The strain and stress of poor posture will take their toll on your spine, and you can experience a host of other symptoms because of it. Back pains, headaches, neck strain, and more are all the result of incorrect posture.
How To Sit With Good Posture
The first step to improving your posture is realizing that there’s a problem and trying to pinpoint what might be causing it. For some, it could be as simple as getting a supportive seat cushion, and others will need to work harder to rectify it. Here are some things you might want to try to improve yours:
- Learn the various postures for sitting, standing, and laying so you know what is correct for each stance. You will need to spend some time studying them and perfecting them before they become second nature
- The most important tool you have in fighting poor posture is to get a supportive seat cushion. Most standard chairs and sofas don?t offer the right support and when you consider how long we spend on them each day you can see why it makes a difference
- Invest in footwear that is comfortable and allows you to reach the proper posture with ease. If you are uneasy on your feet or not supported, it can be easy to revert to poor posture
- Think about other health improvements you could make like losing weight to be at a healthy level or treating stress and anxiety. Although some of these might not be physical issues they can still have a physical effect
- Look at your work desk or where you spend most of the day and try to adjust things to be more ergonomically correct. This might include the keyboard you use, moving your equipment to the right height, and adjusting your screen so that you don?t have to strain to see it
A Practice That Is Worth The Effort
Just like anything worth doing, spending the time to adapt to a proper sitting posture is something well worth the effort. You’ll need to work daily at improving your posture but with the help of seat cushions and making smart choices in office furniture and footwear, it will greatly improve with just a little bit of time.
Poor posture can lead to so many other serious conditions, and it can seriously affect how we appear to others. If you’ve always dreamed of a long, lean posture that helps you look confident and healthy, you’ll be able to try any of these methods to get results.
