Does Posture Matter?

I can guarantee that at some point, someone told you to watch your posture.

  • Remember to stand up
  • straight.
  • You shouldn’t slouch.
  • Stop looking at your phone
  • with your head down like
  • that.

Some of these may bring back memories. Were they right though? Turns out, they may have been on to something.

Recently I’ve seen a lot of videos from “experts” on social media talking about how posture doesn’t matter, you can do whatever you want and its fine.

I do agree that there is no “perfect” posture, because really the human body is designed to move. Ideally you shouldn’t stay in any position for extended periods of time without switching it up. That being said, however, some positions are going to be better than others. The unfortunate reality also is that many people for work are required to sit in front of a computer, drive a vehicle, or be on their feet for extended periods. Here’s why some positions are better than others and what you can do to minimize unnecessary stress on your body.

Biomechanics

Biomechanics refers to forces and motion and how these affect living organisms. Our bodies are always being acted on by gravity, the force created by muscles to cause us to move through space, etc.

Certain positions or movement patterns are more efficient at handling and transmitting forces, while others are not.

To make this easy to understand, I want you to picture something for me. Think of the least graceful and worst running form you have ever seen. We’re not making fun of that person, but this is an easy way to picture what inefficient form looks like. Is that the person you’d expect to run marathons, and feel good afterwards?

It is common sense that some positions or movements are more likely to cause injury or pain. Stay curled up with the worst sitting posture for 30-60 minutes and then let me know how you feel.

What can I do to prevent problems or improve?

The number 1 thing I recommend for people who are dealing with postural related tightness or pain is to move more. If you spend hours upon hours sitting, you should do your best to walk, stand, exercise, and stretch the rest of the day

Often there are very easy posture
break styled movements that you
can do throughout the day as well.
It only takes 5 minutes to make a
difference!

Make it a normal thing in your house and family to stretch while watching a show, to go on a daily walk, and to exercise regularly. Your kids will follow your example!

Another valuable tool is analyze the ergonomics of wherever you spend most of your time. If you walk all day for work, how good are your shoes and how often do you replace them? If you sit, how supportive is your chair and what is your desk set up like? Did you buy your car because of how it looks, or because of
how it fits your body size and shape?

Consequences of letting things slide….

Nothing that is mechanical in nature lasts forever. What are the consequences of a car that never gets an oil change? A house that is never repaired? Living near the ocean makes us all very aware that nature always wins.

Starting a healthy lifestyle or taking it to the next level should be one of our greatest priorities. What is the point of living if your physical health prevents you from enjoying it? Can you travel, exercise, walk, sit, play,all without debilitating pain? If there are pre-existing injuries, what are you doing to minimize their effects?

Dr. Courtney and I love helping people get out of pain. Getting people back to their activities is the reason we show up every day. Even better than getting help for your problem however, is coming in before problems arise. An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure. Ensuring your nervous system is running at maximum efficiency and you can move the way you should are two great things to do before you have pain. Chiropractic is best used over time. We’re here to take care of you and everyone you know until either you’re gone or we’re gone!

Picture of Ruston Tippetts

Ruston Tippetts

Ruston Tippetts, D.C., has been preparing to serve this community through chiropractic care his entire life. From an early age he became fascinated with how the human body works and knew he wanted to help people experience all that life has to offer while maintaining optimal health. His experience with chiropractic care started at a young age by regularly going to a chiropractor. His love of fitness and the outdoors benefited greatly from getting regular care. Some of his greatest passions are helping other people live more fully, and pursuing the things they care about.

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