Pos·ture
/ˈpäsCHər/

Noun 1. the position in which someone holds their body when standing or sitting.

Posture is something we all do every day. How you hold your body in certain positions, even at rest, can have an effect on your body’s overall well-being. People who hold their body in unhealthy postures for long periods per day for many days a week can suffer from aches, pains, and may notice themselves to have a body that doesn’t work as well as it used to.

The GOOD NEWS is we can have control over this to improve our posture in our daily lives and during our work days during long duration tasks. Sitting at a computer for long hours is a task many people do. Also, doing the same repetitive motion over and over, such as a factory job or doing motions with the body that a painter would do, can all change the way we use our body and how we position or “posture” ourselves.

When I evaluate my Physical Therapy patients, I always ask two questions on the first day.
Question 1: What kind of work do you do each day?
Question 2: What do you do for fun or what do you like to do when you’re not working?

Our posture is often affected by what we do for work 8 hours a day, 5 days per week. Then, we go home after work and our hobbies can also influence our posture. Most of us don’t have perfect posture and we can all improve our posture in some way.

Here are some benefits a person can achieve by improving their posture:

1: Reduced Muscle Strain: Good posture helps distribute the load evenly across muscles, reducing strain on specific areas and preventing muscle imbalances.
2: Improved Breathing: Proper posture allows for optimal lung expansion, enhancing breathing capacity and oxygen intake.
3: Enhanced Digestion: Good posture supports proper alignment of organs, facilitating optimal functioning of the digestive system.
4: Prevention of Joint Pain: Maintaining a neutral spine and proper alignment can prevent joint pain by minimizing stress on joints and ligaments.
5: Boosted Confidence and Mood: Good posture contributes to a more confident and positive appearance, which can influence mood and self-esteem.

You may ask, “How do I know if I have bad posture?”

Here are some hints that you can recognize to determine if you have POSTURE that needs some improvements.
1: Forward Head Position: If your head protrudes forward from your shoulders, it’s a sign of poor posture.
2: Rounded Shoulders: Rounded or hunched shoulders indicate poor posture, often caused by slouching and tight chest muscles.
3: Arching or Slumping Lower Back: An exaggerated arch or slumping in your lower back can signal posture issues. Many people have weak core muscles along with other tight leg muscles.
4: Protruding Stomach: Poor posture may contribute to a forward tilt of the pelvis, leading to a protruding abdomen.
5: Uneven Hips or Shoulders: If one hip or shoulder is higher than the other, it could be a sign of postural misalignment.
6: Back or Neck Pain: Persistent discomfort in your back or neck may be related to poor posture habits. This is not normal and in most cases can be fixed.
7: Fatigue: Feeling tired or strained after sitting or standing for a while may indicate inefficient posture. The imbalance in your body is causing your body to work extra during the day.

These deviations from good ideal posture can be from Tightness of certain areas, Weakness of certain areas, and can even be from both occurring at the same time! Sometimes injuries we have had in the past will change our posture. The simple tiny injuries we endure each week doing certain body positions for hours and repetitive body movements we do can also change our posture.

If you notice any of the above signs that your posture may not be its healthy best, ask your doctor to send you to Physical Therapy to get a full-body evaluation. We can determine what your body needs and get you on the road to a healthy posture with better job and life performance.

Michael Yoes, Jr. PT, MPT, Cert. DN