posture

There are many unexpected benefits of having good posture. Good posture can be just as vital as a healthy diet and plenty of exercise, so you should try to work on your posture every day. Many activities incorporate posture exercises, such as yoga, pilates, and martial arts. It’s an important part of many sports and can really enhance your workout overall. It’s also important to be mindful of your posture when working and resting, as poor posture can have a negative impact on your health over time. Here are some ways you can benefit from better posture!

Better Breathing

Poor posture can put pressure on the lungs and chest cavity, so it’s important to straighten up, allowing you to breathe more deeply. If you want to keep an eye on your breathing and your posture, you could get a mindful breathing necklace. These monitor your posture and encourage you to sit or stand up straight and improve your breathing. Better breathing improves circulation and delivers more oxygen around your body.

Boost Your Confidence

Improving your posture is one of the practical ways to improve your confidence. A slouching position can actually look quite defensive, and that’s why many psychology experts recommend sitting or standing up straight in a job interview. It makes you appear healthier and more secure in your own abilities. A better posture also makes you look slimmer and is a lot more flattering. Stand up tall and automatically feel stronger and more confident.

Relieve Anxiety

Improving your posture can reduce anxiety and even help you sleep better. Poor posture is often caused by stress and tension in your body. Trying to maintain a better posture will have the opposite effect as it opens you up and relaxes you. By being mindful of your posture you’ll be able to improve both your physical and mental wellbeing.

Improve Your Digestion

Better posture improves your breathing and releases tension. This means it’s even beneficial to your digestion. There are breathing techniques to improve digestion and you can open up your stomach and digestive tract by being mindful of your posture. Poor posture compresses your internal organs so by straightening up you’ll help to increase the blood flow to these, improving your digestion and the functioning of your vitals too. Better posture also strengthens your core muscles, supports your spine, and even allows you to burn more calories. By working on your posture you can improve your metabolism overall.

Increase Your Energy Levels

Improving your posture is an easy way to get a natural energy boost. A better posture encourages a higher cell exchange, making your body work more efficiently, giving you an energy boost. Slouching can make you feel sluggish and uncomfortable, so even though it might seem like a more relaxing option, this in fact isn’t the case. If you want to feel healthier and more energized, you should focus on improving your posture. Be mindful of your posture and you’ll immediately start to feel the benefits.

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The way you hold yourself when you stand or sit affects more than the way you look. It can have a direct impact on your health.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t actively think about our posture during the day. We go with whatever feels natural.

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This strategy, however, is a bad idea. Posture is way more important than you think and can affect your health in multiple ways. Here’s how.

Arthritis

We typically think of arthritis as a disease of aging. But evidence from Arthritis UK suggests that people with poor posture are also at risk.

According to the research, the way that people sit or stand can contribute to their likelihood of developing the condition. Holding the body in certain positions can put joints under increased pressure, increasing the overall level of inflammation.

The good news, though, is that posture is entirely “modifiable.” As AposTherapy points out, there are hundreds of people all over the world who have already improved their posture with proven techniques. So, even if you notice a problem with the way you walk, you can correct it.

Stress

According to the data, poor posture can lead to mental and physical stress. Putting extra strain on your muscles, tendons, and bones can create soreness, which then manifests as psychological strain. TIME magazine, for instance, reported on a 2014 study that shows that people who had poor posture suffered worse moods than the general population.

Problems With Digestive Health

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The health of the digestive tract is vital for maintaining the overall health of the body. But people with poor posture can experience gastrointestinal issues.

Stomach problems, like acid reflux, are common. And so too are things like constipation.

Researchers think that the reason for this comes down to the effects of slouching on the stomach. People who slump in their chairs or walk hunched over provide their stomachs with less room to carry out their vital functions. The result is slower transit of food through the digestive tract and more related issues.

Ankle, Knee And Hip Pain

The ankles, knees, and hips have to support the full weight of the body, day in, day out. They are, therefore, the most prone to problems, especially if there’s a problem with our gait.

Evolution created these joints to work in a specific way. Poor posture, however, changes the biomechanics, putting additional strain on tissues not designed to cope with it. Eventually, they fail, and pain ensues.

Again, the key to resolving this is to work on your posture. The more that you can retrain your body to walk in the correct fashion, the better. It can require retraining, but the effort is worth it.

Sleep Issues

Finally, there’s growing evidence that poor posture can impact how well you sleep. According to the leading physical therapy researchers, the body has to work harder and expend more energy when fighting poor posture habits. That requires more energy, leaving people feeling physically and mentally exhausted. Plus, pain at night can keep people awake, interrupting sleep.

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How You Can Benefit from Better Posture

Your Posture Has A Bigger Impact On Your Health Than You Think