Poor posture occurs when certain muscles tighten or shorten up, while others stretch in a way that they are naturally not supposed to do. The spine has a special connection with the brain, spinal cord and other organ function. This connection clearly shows the poor posture ultimately reduces brain and organ function. Poor posture is a very serious modern day problem that affects more people that it’s thought to.
Consequences of poor posture on the core body muscles…..
Weak stomach muscles: Core body muscles which include the stomach/ abdominal muscles play an important role in overall body posture because they work in harmony with the back muscles to hold the body in an erected position.
Headaches and tiredness: Poor body posture can cause tension on the core muscles and this can reduce the flow of blood to the body. Incorrect alignment of the head and spine to the rest of the body causes tightening of core muscles and overstretching of the ligaments this in turn causes insufficient blood flow to the body. The ultimate impact of decreased blood flow is severe headaches and fatigue.
Neck and shoulder pain: Poor posture when standing and sitting can interfere with the alignment of the head, shoulders and back thus putting a lot of pressure on the back, neck and limb muscles. This in turn causes a lot of pain in the muscles of the legs and shoulders due to incorrect shifting of weight to other parts of the body.
Poor breathing and digestion problems: The natural posture aligns the skeletal muscles with the rest of the body and keeps the internal organ in good position for optimum body function. This enables chest muscles to help the lungs to breath properly. It also enables the stomach and intestines to correctly contract and expand for proper digestion to take place. Thus poor posture causes decreased lung function and digestion problems.
Common causes of poor posture
Physical injuries: After injury, the muscles surrounding the injured area begin to protect to keep it stable and prevent further damage. Although this is necessary the surrounding muscles work in a diminished way causing them to weaken. The imbalance between normal working muscles and muscles protecting an injury affect the body posture.
Stress and depression: Stress and depression cause a decrease in breathing. Since breathing and posture are interlinked decreased breathing results in poor posture.
Muscle weakness: lf the body has area which are weak it will not be held up in an upright position because of the imbalance between weak muscles and strong muscles this in turn results in poor posture.
Habit: People who spend a long time in a certain position without changes are prone to poor posture because the spine tends to align itself to that particular position. Instead, you need to focus on forming good habits and first form a workout plan that can improve your existing posture problems.
Poor posture and modern life
Poor posture is a modern day problem because it is occupational. It mostly affects people who do modern day jobs e.g. clerical workers who sit behind a computer for a long time without standing up. Truck drivers also suffer from poor posture because of long sitting periods.
Author: This post was supplied by Simply Sweat, online sports wear retailer specialising in women’s gym clothing and sports bras.
Posture And Its Impact On The Body Core
