Good Posture - Not Just Because Mom Said So!

Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” – Helen Keller

If you are like me, this sounds like a great idea in theory, but is much harder in practice. I grew up with a scoliosis, which meant that having great posture was nearly impossible for me. 

What does good posture mean?  Both from the side and from the front, your head should be on top of your rib cage, your torso on top of your hips, and your pelvis over your knees and feet.

The most common postural misalignment we see is forward head posture, and rounded shoulders.  Demanding desk jobs, time on devices/computers/iPads, lots of reading, holding children, and even cooking and baking put us in a posture of looking down and 

The benefits of good posture are well-documented both in studies and are noticeable in the dynamics of a room -

1.  Deeper sense of confidence and owning your height
2.  Greater energy.  Poor posture is not energy efficient, and requires lots of extra muscles to fire
3.  Deeper breathing.  When your shoulders are rounded forward, the lungs simply don't have the room to expand to their full capacity.
4. Less pain - For every inch that your head is forward, it effectively doubles the weight of your head, putting stress on the muscles in your upper back, neck, and potentially even your low back. Some people have headaches or TMJ, others carry tension in their shoulders, and for some low back pain is the biggest
5. Increased range of motion - Making it easier to exercise, and get through daily activities.
6.  Less wear and tear  on your spine, hips, and knees occur as the weight is distributed properly across all the joints in your body.

We recommend many postural exercises for all including YWTL exercises for the shoulders and upper back, chin retractions for forward head posture, stretching, and core activation.  For an assessment and personalized exercise program to balance asymmetry, please contact our office at 612-354-2231.