Last week we talked about it being Self-Improvement Month. One awesome goal for you to have this month is improving your posture. Our posture is such a key part of our wellbeing. It's how we carry ourselves not just physically, but also mentally. Bad posture can have a adverse affects on physical health as well as how we feel about ourselves. Here are five ways improving your posture can help improve your life.
It will Improve Your Confidence
Why does standing or sitting up straight improve our confidence? Well it all comes down to science. When we sit or stand hunched over in a position that is protecting our organs, we are subconsciously telling ourselves we are not safe. When we feel unsafe it makes it harder for us to concentrate on the task at hand. Try standing in a "wonder woman" pose the next time you are feeling less than confident and see how much better you feel.
Your Bone and Joints Will Be Healthier
Ever have those days where you slept wrong and wake up feeling all types of awful? Well having bad posture has very similar effects. Your body has it's own natural alignment. Continuously taking your body out of alignment will over time produce wear and tear on your joints and bones. Working on your posture will keep everything aligned and healthy. Also working on your posture will make it so you have less night where you "sleep wrong"!
You Will Experience Fewer Headaches
Did you know that bad posture whether sitting or standing can result in a migraine? It makes sense when you really think about it. When you are sitting or standing with poor posture, you are putting tension in your upper back, neck and shoulders. This tension can further result in headaches and migraines. Focus on not having a forward neck. Your neck should be in line with your shoulders and hips. You should also not have rounded and raised shoulders. Make sure that your desk is correctly positioned so that you can avoid rounding of the shoulders.
You Will Have Less Neck and Spine Pain
Much like our bones and joints, bad posture also adversely affects your neck and spine. Continuously having your head in front of your shoulder instead of above and in line with you neck, puts stress on your cervical spine. It is estimated that for every inch your head is held forward you are putting an additional 10 pounds on your cervical spine!
Your Breathing Will Be Better
Ever have a moment when you feel like you can't catch your breath even though you haven't been doing anything strenuous? It could be a result of your posture. When we have bad posture sitting or standing we tend to constrict access to our lungs. This in turn makes it harder to catch our breath. Sitting or standing in an upright position allows us to take adequate breaths which in turn help our whole wellbeing.