- What poor posture generally looks like
- Slumped over
- Rounded, curved or elevated shoulders
- Pushed-forward head position
- A forward tilting of the hips
- An increase in the curve of the lumbar spine
- Possible effects of poor posture
- Chronic muscle tension
- Neck-related headaches
- Lower back pain
- Muscle fatigue
- Muscle tightness in neck or shoulders
- Restricted breathing
- Who is at risk?
- Frequent computer users
- People who hold a phone to their ear for prolonged periods of time
- People who carry backpacks or heavy bags
- Truck, public transport drivers and frequent car drivers
- People who are overweight
- Assembly workers
- People with musculoskeletal disorders such as sciatica, fibromyalgia, scoliosis and degenerative disc disease
- Causes
- Repetitive motion without frequent breaks
- Sustained immobile posture for long periods of time
- Non-ergonomic workstations
- Non-ergonomic shoes such as high-heels
- Computer usage where slouched, hunched, sitting cross-legged or with legs curled under seat.
- Over-use of some muscles compared to others
- Incorrectly lifting heavy objects
- Musculoskeletal disorders
- Vehicle seat not properly positioned
- Impacts
- Can impede lung expansion resulting in less oxygen
- Spinal dysfunction
- Joint degeneration
- Disk degeneration
- Weight increase in certain areas
- Metabolic imbalance
- Poor posture can appear as negative body language or low self-confidence
- When sitting in a crunched position, your vicera (intestines) are folded up which may promote constipation
- Lethargy
- Joint stiffness
- Sudden spasmodic pain in the major muscles and joints
- Weakness in muscle strength
- Decrease in free joint movements
- Prolonged sitting, especially with legs crossed can increase spider/varicose veins and decreases circulation to the lower legs
- Sitting with knees strongly bent (ex: legs under you) causes significant strain on the knee joint tissue that strongly correlates with the development of pain over time
NOTES
– In sitting, there is no one ideal posture nor should one posture be sustained. Healthy sitting is best thought of as an active, not static phenomenon.
– If you have a painful chronic condition that impacts your posture, the use of a device and techniques to counteract posture imbalances may help reduce the duration and extent of each occurrence.