Bad posture is a common problem in the teenagers of today. If you have a bad posture, you must have definitely heard things like “walk straight,” “sit straight,” or “stand straight.” Bad posture can not only result in pain but also low self-confidence. Our posture has more impacts than we can think of. Maintaining a good posture is very important and shows many benefits. All you have to do is, put in some efforts to improve your posture, and you will notice its benefits yourself.

According to a study, if you have a bad posture, you bring proper alignment in everything you do.

Here are a few ways to benefit from good postures that will make your life easier.

Benefits of Having a Good Posture

1. Improves your self-confidence

Having a good posture shows your strength and health physiologically. Believe it or not, people with good posture are more looked upon as competent than compared to people with neutral or weak posture. Slumping or slouching communicates laziness. A study shows that your posture reflects your self-confidence, and people with a straight back and a good posture are observed to be more confident.

2. It helps you breathe easier.

Do this: Take a deep breath as you sit straight with your shoulders backward and chest out. Now, take another deep breath as you lean forward and sit in a slouching position. You will notice that it is impossible to take in a full breath when you are slouching. This is because the lung muscles can’t draw in air as well when you are slouching versus when you are sitting straight.

3. Reduces headaches

According to doctors, bad posture increases stress in the muscles, discs, joints, and ligaments in your neck. When you are slouching and sitting with your head forward, looking down at your phone or typing on your PC, it strains your neck. This strain in your neck can lead to headaches. This strain can also cause irritation in your neck’s nerves, which further leads to eye strain and dizziness.

4. Relieves anxiety 

When we experience anxiety, we tend to tighten our muscles, lift shoulders, and take short breathes. These moments by our body tell our brain and nervous system that we are feeling threatened, and our body should be a guard. But, if you sit upright, with your shoulders down and relaxing tension, it tells our body that it does not need any protection.

5. Better workout

When you have a good posture, you experience nearly no strain on your body. When you have no or minimal strain on your body, the muscles in your body work more effectively. This helps in a better performance at the gym or workout activities.

6. Better digestion

Whether you believe it or not, the way you hold yourself can make a difference in your digestion process. Slouching can create compression in the midsection, reducing the space in the abdomen of your body and result in challenging the poor digestive system to work well. This can result in constipation, pelvic floor, and heartburn problems.

7. Boosts energy

Good posture helps in operating the joints and muscles effectively. It also helps in better blood circulation, no compression of your organs, and easy breathing—all these help in getting more oxygen into your body and more relaxing.

Your energy increases like a skyrocket. With more energy and relaxation, you tend to get better sleep. 

8. Stronger core

When you stand, walk and sit upright, the muscles in your core support your body. As time passes by, good posture becomes inherent, and your muscle cores become stronger. Along with the core, the shoulders, pelvis, hips, knees, and ankles also engage as you walk throughout the day, which helps burn a lot of fat while simultaneously achieving a good posture.

Tips to improve your posture

• When you stand, pull your shoulders backward, chest out and put your knees bent and body weight primarily in the balls of your feet.
• When you are sitting, keep your feet flat by putting a gap in the back of your knees and front of your seat.
• Always keep your feet shoulder-width apart, be it while sitting or standing.
• If you find keeping your shoulders backward a difficult task, you can keep in mind to always keep your shoulders tucked in. This will help you put your pelvis in a neutral position and allows your arms to rest naturally down on the sides of your body.
• Keep in mind to position your earlobes in line with your shoulders. Please do not put your head forward as it can lead to neck strain.
• Try moving as often as you can, especially if you have been sitting in the same position for a long time.
• Always keep your spine in a neutral position. Do not try to arch or over flex the back as spinal compression can result in poor posture.

Habits that result in poor posture:

Now that you know how to maintain a good posture, let us talk about what habits contribute to poor posture. 

• Imbalance and irregular fitness training. It is essential to exercise in a way that emphasises balanced development strength throughout the body. Make sure to strengthen your back and also consult with a trainer to design the right workout for you if you can.
• If your desk or the chair you sit in is not the right height for your body, it can result in poor posture. It is better if you have an ergonomics expert to guide you and analyze your work setup.
• Too little physical activity. If you are sitting at your desk or lying on your bed all day without any physical activity, walking breaks, it can increase your chance of developing a poor posture. To avoid that, it is important that you include exercise or physical activity of some kind in your daily routine. When there is a movement, it decreases compression in your spine which is encouraged by sitting in the same position or place for a long time.