A look at poor body posture

 

The Query #3: Body posture

The big question

People tell me I am slouching my back, but is poor posture just a matter of appearance, or is there something more to it?

“Stand up straight, dude. You are slouching again.” This is what my friends and family members often say to me.

Bad posture can be a pain in life

I was told ever since I had my growth spurt as a teenager to stand tall and straight, instead of slouching. I did not take heed of this classic posture advice because I never paid heed to my posture and had a relatively uneventful life so far.

However, my slouching was due to no accident. I have been bending my back because of many reasons. 

Firstly, being the introvert I am, I tended to look on the ground so as to avoid eye contact with others while walking,  this had led me to the habit of bending my head and back while I look down as I walk. 

Also, there were a few years when I was at my grandparents’ place for after school care, and the square table at the living room was much shorter than my sitting height. The other rooms were not as appealing for me because they were more stuffy, and the tables would usually be cluttered, so I was left with the sofa and the small square table in the living room. This led me to having to bend my back whenever I did my homework and revision there.

Finally, when I got my first iPhone after graduating primary school, I used it quite frequently for messaging, research and entertainment at school. I usually do not have any place to rest my arms while I hold my phone up, so I had to bend my back while using the phone with my arms supported by my thighs. 

(Image from Today Show) Looking down while I walk and poor posture when using a handphone shaped my back to the slouch it has today.

I lacked the concept of maintaining a good posture then, and lacked ergonomic furniture and personality too. As such, the bad posture stuck with me.

My slouching was not a particular problem that stood out, but it had caused my life to be more troublesome. For one, whenever I took photos, I would look awkward because I was slouching and my neck seemed shorter as it was bent forward. Another example could be that I was not able to stand for long periods of time because my lower back will become sore, my hamstrings start complaining, and the soles of my feet get hurt. I might have been able to sustain myself for longer if I had stood up straighter.

DISCLAIMER: Oddly shaped bodies are not always due to poor posture. Please do your research properly! My younger sister developed scoliosis a few years ago. My parents were convinced that it was due to her lifestyle that led to poor posture habits, giving rise to her body not being well supported and her body weight not putting pressure on the bones that were supposed to support her body. They claimed that she was using her phone and laid on the bed in most of her free time (which is not a healthy lifestyle!), so her back was not well supported and the curvature of the spine grew to be an abnormal “S” shape.  I could not get pictures of her X-ray, but this image might show how this scoliosis of hers could have looked like: (Image from verywell) Graphic of scoliosis, which is when the spine shows an S-shaped curve. She had to wear some kind of mold (it is actually called a spinal brace) to support her back, but I could not remember whether she underwent surgery. Wearing the back support was unpleasant because she had difficulties maintaining in the supported position, it felt stuffy and she was unable to scratch any kind of back itch. That was the extent of the seriousness of her poor posture. Eventually, the mold came off when her condition improved. However, scoliosis is not caused by poor posture. According to authoritative sources, current expertly-reviewed medical literature does not show any conclusive link between poor posture and this condition. Instead, genetics are more likely to play a larger role in such a situation.

There are also other problems stemming from poor posture, asides from looking less smart. Poor posture could lead to “postural kyphosis” or rounded back, which could worsen into back pain if uncorrected. Postural kyphosis can usually be treated with physical therapy to correct one’s body posture and strengthen the back muscles and to improve the condition. However, if left untreated, these conditions may worsen and lead to degenerative conditions of the spine in adulthood and may affect daily activities.

There are many other posture problems too. These include sticking your bottom up in a “Donald duck” posture, poking chin posture and hunched back posture. These guide to poor posture and fixes from the NHS will be worth a read if you can relate to these problems: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/common-posture-mistakes-and-fixes/ 

Sounds like you? 

Yes, if you had a similar life story, it goes to show how important maintaining proper posture is. Asides from avoiding the straining of your muscles and not having to go for surgery, there are other sensible reasons to hold up a good posture. Look at this infographic to find out more!

To sum up, not only will good posture make you look and feel better (no more stiff back!). You lessen the strain on your back and help yourself breathe more easily. You will also not get sick as often as you do not put pressure on your organs by allowing your core muscles and backbone to do the job of supporting your body weight.

  

Maintaining good posture and what to do if you already have bad posture

Mitigation

Learn the signs of good posture and start doing them in your daily life. Get someone to help supervise you so that you can really get it right!

There are two kinds of posture: static and dynamic posture.

• Dynamic posture is how you hold yourself when you are moving, like when you are walking, running, or bending over to pick up something.
• Static posture is how you hold yourself when you are not moving, like when you are sitting, standing, or sleeping.

The key to good posture is to focus on your spine. Ensure that the spine is straight as much as possible. It gets strained and injured easily when you apply too much pressure on it. So, ensure that when moving things or getting seated, much of the weight is focused on the lower body (from the hips onward) instead of the back.

The interesting thing about posture is that there is no single correct posture. As such, experiment with what is the most comfortable for you to sustain in.

To make things easier, get furniture that is suitable for your own height to avoid having to lean forward or bend down. Do get chairs with backrests and ensure that your joints are well supported. If you want to be really sure, spend some time getting to know about the study of all these things. Known as ergonomics, it is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them.

Prevention (for healthy beings and at-risk people)

According to Dr Lau Leok Lim, Consultant in Spine Surgery at the National University Health System (NUHS), “Poor posture is a choice, not a condition.”

Simple lifestyle changes can do the trick. Making a conscious choice not to use phones while walking and monitoring your posture through a mirror or reflective surface can help you become better at maintaining good posture. One of the most essential lifestyle changes is to exercise more.

Exercise is key to maintaining proper posture. It helps to build strong core muscles that ensures that the body is well-balanced and that the body weight is spread out evenly without straining the back too much. This helps the body to support itself without having to strain a specific part of itself.

Though any kind of exercise works, there are a couple of interesting exercises that I will like to share for improving posture. They may not be much proof for their effectiveness, but it does not hurt to try them out, and I have benefitted from them too!

Qi Gong 

By aligning the body’s joints and distributing the body’s weight through them equally, it functions as a natural resistance training to strengthen the joints and improve circulation and posture. Poor posture puts pressure on anatomical structures surrounding internal organs, which causes diminished circulation of Qi and blood in channels, therefore leading to imbalances in internal organs.

Not only Qi Gong provides us a metaphor to guide ourselves to having a better posture, it allows us to practise movements that encourage good posture too!

Yoga

Yoga encourages one to be more mindful about its movements. The effects of bad posture are more pronounced while doing yoga poses and stretches. Doing it wrong can lead to pain and injury, so like all exercises, do not push yourself too much and approach with care.

The breathing techniques and huge variety of positions can allow one to find inner peace and be more connected to its body. It also stretches the back to minimise back pain and strengthens the core to improve body posture.

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