Why Is Posture So Important?

If you were anything like me as a kid, you likely often heard your mum say, ‘sit up straight!’ or ‘don’t slouch!’ But why?

You might not put posture high on your list when it comes to health, but it can actually affect you more than you might think.

Posture has the ability to cause pain, injury and a lower quality of life overall. But don’t go thinking that you need perfect posture. No one has perfect posture. It’s about getting the best posture that is suitable for your needs.

Poor posture, over time, can lead to increased stress on joints and decreased mobility in those joints. Stressed joints can lead to muscle tightness, muscular injuries or even joint injuries.

When a person has poor posture it means a joint is compromised. Basically, the joint has a decreased range of motion and will require other joints and muscles to be put under stress to make up for the decreased movement. An example of this would be a person with a rounded upper back trying to raise their arms straight. Their lower back has to arch forward and this would place a large amount of stress on it and increase the risk of injury.

There are many ways to improve posture, but there is no quick fix, unfortunately. It took your while life to develop poor posture, so it will take some time to fix.

The best way to fix poor posture is stretching. Daily stretching will reduce tightness and allow you to correct your posture. Seeing a professional, such as a personal training or chiropractor, will allow them to see exactly what you need to do to correct it. They will be able to write up a stretching and training plan for you to improve your posture!

If you’re stuck sitting at a desk all day, you might just want to think about improving the way you sit.

FYI, The Art Of Manliness website has published “The Ultimate Guide to Posture“, which you might find informative and helpful.