What is Good Posture? The Natural Way to Avoid Injuries, Reduce Pain and Treat Insomnia
Monday, March 14, 2016
Good posture means holding your body in a position that allows all aspects of your body to work properly when you're standing, sitting and lying down.
Good posture is important to your health because it prevents too much strain on your muscles, joints and ligaments. And there's no doubt at all that poor posture makes you vulnerable to injuries and leads to internal changes that damage vital functions.
Core stability
Strong core stability muscles protect and support your internal organs, spine and pelvis. We all need to develop and maintain our core stability muscles in the diaphragm, abdomen, pelvis and lower back - think of them as a sort of corset.
These muscles need to be strong because their job is to control and guide our body movements and prevent incorrect movements that damage the spine and internal organs.
Preventive measures
If you want to improve your posture and protect yourself from future medical problems, it's a good idea to see a physiotherapist for a proper assessment. The physio will discuss your medical history and any existing conditions, check your height-weight ratio and then test your level of fitness.
Then she'll design a program of posture correcting exercises and stretching that is tailor-made for you. These will be aimed at creating:
- Good muscle and joint flexibility
- Strong postural muscles
- Balanced muscle tone on each side of the spine
Benefits of good posture
- Keeps bones and joints in alignment to minimise muscle strain
- Reduces abnormal wear and tear of joint surfaces caused by overload
- Reduces strain on the ligaments of the spine and joints
- Increases efficient muscle action to reduce tiredness
- Helps prevent backache, headache, neck/shoulder ache and muscle pain
Insomnia and tension headaches
The list of unpleasant conditions caused by poor posture is long and includes some common problems like insomnia, fatigue and aches/pains in muscles and joints. Rather than get into the habit of taking sleeping tablets and powerful painkillers it's far safer to consult a physiotherapist.
If your poor posture is causing the problem, using a natural drug-free way to cure it is obviously the best option. Whatever your age, you can learn how to enhance your posture, strengthen your spine and help prevent the damaging effects of poor posture.
Physiotherapists aren't just for helping you regain strength and mobility after an injury – they're best consulted before injuries happen!