Many people in Australia spend over half of their day in a chair - be it at work, in the car or driving - and a large portion of them are not sitting in a suitable posture. This helps to explain why a study of 88 healthy 20-50 year olds showed that 66% had forward head posture and 38% had an increased curvature in their mid spines.
How well you maintain your posture can be very important, and not just for looks. In fact one study has shown that as you get older your posture becomes particularly important. Looking at the thoracic kyphosis in elderly people (the amount that your spine bends forwards between your shoulder blades), it was shown that a mild increase in the curvature lead to a mortality rate that was 1.44 times that of the control group whilst a moderate increase in that curve leads to 2.4 times the mortality rate. In other words, your risk of dying is related to the degree of excessive curvature in your spine.
So why does your posture have such a big impact on your health?
Think of your body like a car. If your car's wheels aren't aligned properly, your car won't perform as well as it should. It will suffer from wear and tear and will be more likely to break down. Your body is exactly the same. For every inch that your head comes forward there will be up to an extra 15kg of weight on the muscles at the back of your neck, that's a lot of extra hard work.
Poor posture can also have a number of other effects on your body. It can lead to a reduced lung capacity, vascular problems, digestive problems, increases discomfort and pain, loss of proper spinal movement, and last but by no means least, interference to the nervous system that controls and regulates your whole body.
So what does normal posture look like?
From front on, your spine should be nice and straight. This means that your ears should be at the same height, your shoulders should be at the same height and your hips should be at the same height. Many people just assume that this is the case and get a rude shock when they actually look in the mirror. Check it out for yourself, or even better get a friend to check it for you. While you're at it, check out your posture from side on as well. The middle of your ear should be directly above the middle of your shoulder, which should be directly above your hip, which should be above the ball of your ankles.
Ok, so my posture could be better. What can I do about it?
Well, there are a number of things that you need to consider in order to improve your posture.
Firstly, what are the stressors that are causing your posture to be distorted in the first place? Are you sitting in a poor posture at work? Are you doing repetitive, one-sided activities that are causing stress on your spine? Are you anxious, causing excessive tension between your shoulder blades? Try and figure out what your stressors are and reduce them wherever possible.
Next you will need to look at what your body requires in order to maintain proper posture. The most important thing it needs is proper movement and proper stability. When it comes to exercise, it is not just the amount of movement that is important, but the quality of movement. If you are being restricted due to pain or lack of mobility in your spine, then it might be time to get a spinal check up from your health care practitioner.
So make sure that you look after your posture and your spine - it is the only one you have got!
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