by Riley Kerr, PT, DPT, ATC
Increase your hand in case you learn that title and thought that this is likely to be an article with the 5 miracle workout routines to treatment your again or neck ache as a result of you will have “dangerous posture.” If that’s the case – sorry to disappoint, however hear me out! What if I informed you that fixing your “dangerous posture” is likely to be even easier than an train band routine and some neck Stretches.
Fixing your posture begins with redefining our definition of the phrase itself. At its most elementary, posture is only a place through which somebody holds their physique when standing or sitting. No place or posture is inherently “good” or “dangerous.” Sadly, our society has ingrained into us the idea of “dangerous posture” and has promised us numerous ergonomic merchandise and coverings that may right our alignment and treatment our ache. However what occurs after we pressure ourselves right into a inflexible, unnatural posture for hours on finish considering that we have now “good posture?”
Right here’s what I imagine:
Dangerous posture isn’t the difficulty. Stillness is.
Sitting upright all day can have the identical impact as slouching all day. Striving for the proper posture can find yourself being counterproductive if we sit in that one place for too lengthy. The fact is that our our bodies are designed for motion and adaptation, and we thrive on variability. Our posture naturally fluctuates all through the day as we carry out completely different duties and actions. You’ll hear bodily therapists say it on a regular basis, and it’s the reality: Motion is medication. Movement is lotion. Your subsequent posture is your greatest posture.
The consequences of a destructive view of posture go additional than simply bodily – there are additionally psychological implications. The idea that you’ve “dangerous posture” can turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Continuously worrying concerning the alignment of your backbone or the place of your shoulders can create pointless stress and anxiousness, which can exacerbate any current points. Our aim ought to focus much less on conforming to an arbitrary normal of alignment and extra on transferring with ease and effectivity.
On the finish of the day, the idea of “dangerous posture” will not be as clear-cut as it could appear. Sustaining good alignment can definitely be useful in some circumstances, nevertheless it’s necessary to acknowledge that posture is only one piece of the puzzle in relation to total well being and well-being. Our our bodies are supposed to transfer. It’s time to regulate our definition of “dangerous posture” from a single place to an absence of motion.