Poor Posture Got You Down?

Does your job require you to stare at a computer for hours on end, or perhaps during your commute you spend the whole time looking down at your phone? This ‘forward head posture’ doesn’t just create stresses on your shoulders and neck, but actually has a snowball effect, impacting on your whole spine as it tries to compensate for this change in ideal posture. As the head shift forwards it changes our bodies centre of gravity and to compensate, the upper body shifts backward and to maintain balance, our hips shift forward.
This change in head posture creates tension and muscle imbalances as the head moves forward, more weight is actually placed on our muscles.
When a muscle becomes short and tight, the opposite muscle often will become long and weak. This creates an imbalance in your body. After long periods of using one muscle more than others, our body develops a faulty recruitment pattern. Additionally poor posture places abnormal weight on joints and stresses muscles and tendons often leading to pain.
If your posture is such that you can project a line up from just in front of your anklebone and have it run midway between your hip, shoulder and ear- your posture is quite good.
If you have poor posture you’ll see increased or decreased curves in your spine, your belly may protrude, have rounded shoulders, back pain, body aches and pains and perhaps headaches.
Good posture keeps muscle in balance and your body well aligned, allowing optimal efficiency of body systems and decrease in pain.