Believe it or not posture is not only important for aesthetics and how we look to others, it is vital to the function and maintenance of every body part of your body, from your muscles and your joints all the way to organ health and longevity!

Identifying a postural distortion (and having a plan to correct it) as soon as possible is one of the fastest ways to avoid long-term damage, quickly boost your energy, and safeguard your health over your lifetime.

Take a look around…

You won’t need to look far to see people of all ages and even fitness levels with deteriorating posture.

With more videos games, smart devices and increased time sitting at desks, driving in cars and being generally inactive, we’re not helping ourselves to solve these issues.

Experts are beginning to consider postural deviations and the health problems associated with them epidemic.

DID YOU KNOW POOR POSTURE CAN…

• Accelerate depression, stress and consume energy. In a study with university students, walking in a slouched position decreased energy levels and increased feelings of depression.
• A structural distortion puts your body in a state of increased energy consumption… in fact Roger Sperry PhD. won the Nobel Prize for demonstrating “the more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy is available for thinking, metabolism and healing.”
• Add a few pounds and contribute to digestive disorders. Chronic slouching positions can constrict your intestines making digestion difficult. This also causes increased pressure on the abdominal wall, protrudes the belly and can make one look heavier than they actually are.
• Increase musculoskeletal pain. It only makes sense that the harder your muscles must to work to support your distorted body, the more fatigued, inflamed and uncomfortable they will become. How many people with headaches, back pain, shoulder pain or other related conditions are simply experiencing the secondary effects of poor posture?
• Restrict breathing. More than one study has demonstrated that moving the head into a forward direction can reduce lung function. Constricting the lungs expansion and contraction also diminishes the amount of oxygen getting to the rest of body.
• Contribute to a shortened lifespan. It’s hard to say whether this is a “chicken or egg” situation but multiple studies show that (at least in the aging population that was studied) an anterior head position (hyperkyphosis) relates to increased mortality (chance of dying).

WHY IS POSTURE IMPORTANT?

The main reason poor posture is detrimental to the function of the human body is that it can be a sign of a CORE PROBLEM.

A CORE PROBLEM is a problem with one of the body’s central requirements for health.

Poor nutrition, a sleep deficiency, or lackluster exercise habits would all be classified as CORE PROBLEMS. In each situation, leaving this problem unaddressed could lead to COLLATERAL DAMAGE.

To give a non-health related example…

If the foundation of your home had a shift that was left unaddressed, over time it could develop into a host of other conditions like damaged drywall, tilted doorframes and with enough time that CORE PROBLEM could begin to cause more serious issues like electrical or plumbing damage.

Poor posture is a far-reaching condition within the human frame.

It affects our health in ways we can see and feel but more importantly, it affects us in ways we could have no idea about.

How’s your posture?

Click below to get your copy of the Perfect Posture Self-Assessment Tool to find out.

Dr. Michael Gibson has committed himself to helping others to live the best life possible. After graduating with a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, he received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree and Masters of Science in Chiropractic Sports Science from Life University. He is the co-creator of Life By Design, owner of The Wellness Group, and co-owner of CrossFit 613. His passion for empowering families runs deep. After experiencing the loss of his sister due to illness, Michael’s purpose became reaching and teaching as many as possible the foundational principles of an extraordinary life. Since that time he has passionately pursued and been successful in living out his dream. He maintains a busy family chiropractic practice, a full speaking schedule and finds time to implement the principles and practices of Life By Design in his own life.