Posture’s Influence on Health

In order to maximize your success through any medical weight loss and wellness plan, you’ll want to implement positive lifestyle changes into as many aspects of your life as possible. Even if you’re following your medical professional’s guidelines regarding diet and daily exercise, other unhealthy lifestyle habits may still prevent or delay weight loss. Habits like hunching over your phone or keyboard, slouching while you walk and sleeping with improper positioning may lead to back and neck pain, headaches, damage to the lungs and a variety of other health complications. On the other hand, being mindful of your posture while sitting, standing, walking and sleeping can result in many positive health improvements.

The Benefits of Proper Posture

Proper posture has been known to provide the following health benefits:

• Deeper, healthier respiration
• Fewer muscle imbalances, resulting in in less joint pain
• Decreased stress upon ligaments
• Prevents fatigue due to muscles being used more efficiently
• Prevents back, neck and muscular pain
• Prevents the spine from becoming affixed in an improper position

The Negative Effects of Improper Posture

Having poor posture may cause serious long-term damage to your body and affect your health in a variety of negative ways, including:

• Impeding the lungs’ ability to expand
• Increasing risk of injury when lifting heavy objects
• Pulling the spinal vertebrate out of alignment
• Leading to chronic back, neck and muscular pain

Improving Your Posture

It’s not always easy to be mindful of your posture, and since you may have been developing poor habits for years, you might find it painful to adjust at first. Remember to be patient. If you currently have or have had prior neck, back, pelvic or knee injuries, consult your physician before trying to correct posture on your own, as you may cause further damage to those or other body parts.

Fixing improper posture can take time, but when practiced correctly it can do wonders for your overall wellness and health. Just taking small steps toward improving your posture may have great results, giving you more energy throughout the day, lessening pain in your joints and positively affecting the way you sleep.