Bad posture is such a common problem these days, and it’s often down to our lifestyle. So many of us work at a desk all day and we slouch over, which doesn’t do any favors for our posture. A lack of exercise can lead to weak muscles as well, which contributes to bad posture. But does it really matter that much if you have bad posture anyway? A lot of people don’t think that it does, but it can actually lead to a lot of health problems. These are some of the issues that are caused by poor posture, and how you can deal with them.
Back Pain
The most common symptom of bad posture is back pain, but it’s something that a lot of people tend to ignore because they think it’s a normal part of getting older. It’s true that you are more prone to back pain as you get older, but if you constantly experience back pain, that’s not good. In most cases, your poor posture leads to weak core muscles and more strain on the muscles in your back because they are doing all of the work. That means that those muscles will be very tight and painful, especially after you have been sitting down for a long period. The best way around that is to do some stretches to loosen up your muscles and you could also consider getting a massage on a regular basis to keep your muscles loose. You should also do some core exercises to strengthen your muscles and take some of the pressure off your back.
Sometimes, poor posture can lead to more serious issues in the back. Over time, the pressure that you are putting on your spine can do damage to your vertebrae and lead to chronic pain in the back. In that case, you may need to have an epidural steroid injection to manage the pain. You may also need to have corrective surgery on your back if the damage is severe, so it’s important that you see your doctor and get it checked out. Unfortunately, if your poor posture has caused lots of damage to the spine, you will not be able to undo that damage with simple stretches or massages.
Poor Digestion
If you have poor digestion, it may be down to your posture, but a lot of people never consider this when they are trying to work out the cause. You can spend ages cutting out different foods and trying to work out whether you have an allergy when your problem is simply a posture one. When you are slouched forward, you squash your stomach and your intestines together. That means that when you eat food, it cannot pass through your digestive system as easily. Your food will digest a lot slower and it can lead to a lot of problems. This can have a knock on effect on your metabolism so even if you are not slouched over, you will still have digestive issues. It’s important that you make an effort to sit up straight when you eat so you can digest your food properly. It’s also a good idea to take a short walk after eating to help your food go down.
Digestive issues can be quite serious because your gut health has a big impact on your overall health. There is a lot of research in this area at the moment and the results show that it is incredibly important to manage your gut health properly, so your poor posture could be affecting you in all sorts of different ways.
Mental Health
One of the major findings about gut health is that it has a big impact on your mental health, which means that your poor posture and the digestive issues that is causing could also lead to mental health issues. But your posture also affects your mental health in a more direct way. Studies show that when you are slouched over, it can increase feelings of depression, but people that sit or stand straight tend to feel better overall. People with better posture experience higher levels of self-esteem and have more positive thoughts. It’s for this reason that terms like ‘power stance’ are widely recognized and we tend to respond well to people that stand in a confident manner.
It works the other way as well, so people that are suffering with their mental health are more likely to shrink back into themselves and slouch over a lot. That means that it can quickly become a vicious cycle. One great way to deal with this is to try yoga for stress. Reducing stress levels will help you to manage your mental health more effectively but the yoga stretches will also have a positive impact on your posture as well, so you can undo some of that damage.
Heart Disease
When your poor posture causes misalignment in your spine, it can put a lot of pressure on blood vessels and constrict them. This puts more stress on the heart and can lead to a lack of nutrients and oxygen in the body. As a result, you have a higher risk of developing blood clots and deep vein thrombosis. That means that people with poor posture can have a much higher risk of developing heart disease in later life unless you do something to fix the alignment of your spine.
Having bad posture doesn’t just cause a little bit of back pain. It can lead to a lot of serious physical and mental health problems if you don’t do something about it. That’s why it’s important that you make an effort to stand and sit with correct posture. If you find it difficult, you should do certain stretches and exercises to strengthen your muscles to make it easier to maintain good posture. Wearing the right shoes, with lots of support, makes a big difference as well. Once you get into the habit of standing with good posture, it becomes second nature and you can avoid all of these health problems.
No Comments