Posture is really important for a number of reasons, it can determine one’s body language, confidence, and overall health which could be the reason something goes right for you or not, as the case may be. It seems that either because people are, generally speaking, living longer and or, people have become lazier, there is more of a focus on ‘correct posture’ with the work environment and the medical industry. Here are a few facts about, and things you can do to achieve a ‘better’ posture, overall, improving your health.
What exactly is posture?
The way you hold your body or, carry yourself is known as posture and, there are, generally speaking, two types which are, dynamic and static posture;
Dynamic posture; is all about how you carry yourself when you are moving, that could include walking, running, riding a bike, or, something like swimming. One thing that they all have in common is, the use of feet and, although they all have a varying degree of impact on your feet, cycling and running tend to cause the most damage, if the wrong posture is adopted.
All of them require a particular posture in order to make the most of your movement and not to damage your body. If the warning signs are ignored then it could mean you have to buy something minor like cycling insoles or, worst case scenario, walking aids for wheelchairs.
Static posture; this type of posture is the complete opposite of static dynamic posture, it’s all to do with how you are positioned when you are not moving. As time goes by, more and more people are in jobs that demand more ‘static’ time which is one of the reasons that it has become a growing area of medical research and development.
Take a few moments to look around you
Wherever you are, if you stop for a few moments and take a look around you, observe how people are moving or travelling around and how they are seated. You will be hard pushed to find more than a few, and that’s probably being generous, who are using the correct posture for whichever position they are in.
You will likely see people ‘slouched’ over a chair or a table, some people perhaps, walking with their heads dipped or more often than not, somebody in front of a computer in a completely unnatural position.
A quick ‘self-check’ should show you pretty quickly the extent of the problem, and it seems to be becoming less important in people’s minds, for whatever reasons. It surely must have something to do with generational differences and or what is taught and learned in school. At one time a teacher might have been heard walking around the classroom telling people to sit up, to, sit straight, shoulders back, and head up.
It may sound a bit harsh but, they were correct in what they were saying, these days teachers have much less authority than they used to so you aren’t likely to hear much of that going on in your average mainstream school which, to an extent, is a shame.
Increased awareness and healthcare
Because of the increased number of ‘admin’ type jobs these days where there isn’t much moving around going on, in fact, you’ll find people ‘pinging’ each other an email when they could quite easily get up and walk over to their colleague to ask. It’s partly laziness but also, it has simply become part of today’s ‘culture’.
As such, there is much more of a focus going into how to prevent damage from improper posture than ever before which is crucial because, if you stay in the incorrect position for long enough, your bones and body can start to take an unnatural form, which will cause you issues later in life.
Posture and tech
When it comes to our bodies, sitting in front of a computer all day, couldn’t be any more unnatural, which is why most companies will have somebody in-house that conducts risk assessments from time to time. They check to make sure that the employee is seated correctly and that they don’t require any additional aids in terms of a different chair or supports as well as checking how they feel when it comes to bodily movement.
It should go without saying that, if anybody spends enough time slouched in a chair, elbows near ears, looking up at a screen with a bent neck then they are likely to have issues later on in life. You could find yourself unable to move your body in certain directions or even become hunched over as you get older.
The advancements of tech are both a blessing and a curse when it comes to posture because, tech is one of the reasons for increased improper posture yet, there are more solutions available to help anybody suffering from issues that have developed as a result of said tech, it’s a real ‘double whammy.
Taking care of yourself
The best thing that anybody can do for themselves or their family is to practice proper posture techniques routinely so that they become the norm. There is so much to be said for posture other than just how we look, it also has a big impact on the way we feel and perceive ourselves, take somebody who is depressed or deeply unhappy as an example.
They may be seen walking around hunched over with their head down dragging their feet, it displays a level of, not feeling good, a lack of confidence whereas, somebody who is feeling good about themselves is more likely to be seen ‘full of beans’ walking upright, head up and walking with a proper stride. Even if you aren’t feeling great, try to ‘act’ like you are with the correct posture and you’ll be surprised at how much better it can make you feel.
Your family
If you have children or youngsters in your family, then you should do your utmost to help them in any way you can. That could include, limiting the amount of time that they spend in front of a screen, getting them interested and involved in doing ‘activities’ together that involve exercise or, getting them involved in household chores or projects. If you look at them as ‘projects’ then they are more likely to be seen as a challenge than a ‘chore’ which, less face it, earned their name for a reason.
