Standing Up Straight Might Not Be As Beneficial As We Thought

From a young age, we are taught to stand up straight. Many of us (including me) have memories of walking around the house with a book on our head to improve our posture.

But why is it important to do this? And what does “good posture” mean for your health anyway?

Correct posture may have a slight aesthetic element to it — we’re taught to resemble models of perfect posture — and it has some scientifically-backed benefits, but after years of posture caution and posture screening in schools, it may have less of an impact than you’d think.

Here, experts give their opinion on posture and whether good posture is actually good for your health or if it’s complete nonsense.

according to Dr. Scott MallozziThe UConn Health spine surgeon believes that proper posture means your head should be directly over your pelvis and legs, with your neck and head not hunched forward or tilted back. Make sure your head, pelvis and legs are in a straight line.

However, he added that one attitude doesn’t fit everyone. Dr. Mark CuellartoMedical director of the Musculoskeletal Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. Some people, especially older adults, find it more comfortable to bend over due to conditions such as spinal arthritis..

“If that person is sitting upright and arching their back all day, they’re going to be in pain,” says Queralto, meaning that what’s good posture for one person might not be good for another.

Furthermore, when it comes to our bodies, Age-related changes are a part of life, Queralto explains: It’s natural for the spine to evolve and require different postures throughout our lives.

“What do you think your spine will look like when you’re 60? Do you think it will be the same as when you were 30, or will there be changes?” Cuellarto asked.What’s good for you may change, and that’s completely normal.

The answer to this varies.

Dr. Amit Jain“Good posture reduces wear and tear on the spine,” said Dr. According to the National Institutes of HealthSlouching can make your spine weaker and more susceptible to injury.

Good posture won’t mean you won’t suffer from back pain one day, but a strong spine could help you cope better if it does occur in the future, Mallozzi adds. When your posture causes your weight to be distributed evenly or puts unfair strain on your body, your muscles have to work harder.

For example, people who bend their heads to look at their cellphones or other portable devices often suffer from “text neck,” which puts extra strain on the body.

Ciara Cappo, a chiropractor in California, He told Healthline “The human head weighs 10 pounds. Every inch that your head is tilted forward doubles the weight on your neck.” So hunched over while texting is not good for your neck muscles.

But standing up straighter may not solve your health problems, and it won’t necessarily cure existing back pain.

““There is little, if any, evidence that posture can reduce current pain or prevent future pain,” Queralto says.

In fact, Queralto Research pointed out “Common public health messaging encouraging people to sit upright to prevent neck pain needs to be reconsidered,” the study said, finding that slouching in teenagers was associated with reduced neck pain in young adulthood.

Instead of telling yourself to stand upright all the time, you might focus on strengthening certain muscle groups. With exercise, these muscles will better support your spine and help you stand upright more easily, without strain or discomfort.

“There are two muscle groups that are great for maintaining posture,” Mallozzi says. The first are the paraspinal muscles, which surround the spine from the neck to the lower back.“The stronger the muscles around your spine, the better supported your discs and joints are, and the less strain they’ll put on them,” he says. Another important muscle group to strengthen is your core, which provides additional support for your back.

These muscle groups can be developed through yoga, pilates, planks, sit-ups, and other general strength training exercises. bridge and Squeeze your shoulder blades.

These exercises “really help strengthen the muscles that support good posture,” Mallozzi says.

He adds that some of the factors that affect posture can’t be improved with exercise. Problems like arthritis or stiff hips aren’t going to go away anytime soon, but prioritizing strength training from a young age will increase your chances of success.”The more you have, the more [of] “The stronger the foundation you have at the beginning, the better you’ll be able to make up for other issues as they arise,” Mallozzi says.

Plus, a stronger spine allows you to enjoy the many benefits of exercise. “We know that exercise is good for cardiovascular health, it’s good for preventing osteoporosis, and people who exercise tend to have better mental health scores,” Queralto said.

Instead of focusing on standing or sitting upright, it’s more important to incorporate a variety of movements into your daily life.

“We think it’s important to have fluidity, not doing the same static movements like sitting all day or standing all day,” Queralto said.

It doesn’t matter if you sit upright or slouched in these positions, but staying in the same position for eight hours a day isn’t ideal, he added. For example, sitting in front of a laptop all day can cause shoulder stiffness, and while doing so, you’re likely slouching with your neck jutting forward.

Jain recommends taking regular breaks from sitting at work and adding a standing desk to your home workspace.

After all, just because sitting or standing upright feels right for you doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone – and that’s OK. While the benefits of good posture have been argued for, such as reduced pain and reduced strain on surrounding muscles, the pressure we feel from our families regarding posture is probably a bit exaggerated.

Just because you had a hunched back in high school doesn’t mean you’ll stay hunched for the rest of your life, but prioritizing building strength through fitness and exercise can help relieve some of the pressure your spine puts on every day.