Does the constant monitoring of your parents and teachers regarding sitting up straight while studying or standing straight during the school prayers ring any bells? Do you realize why they were always striving to make you sit better and stand better? They were constantly on their toes regarding it so that you develop a good posture.
Postures may be static, i.e., the body language while we are in one place and not moving, or dynamic, i.e., how we conduct ourselves while we are moving. We must always be aware and careful about both of these postures because it is the first impression of ourselves and shows our attitude as a whole.
As we now understand, the benefits of a good posture are numerous. Our body language not only reflects our attitude, confidence and personality but also gives us a variety of benefits in terms of health. Good posture is a lifestyle choice and it is to be practiced with discipline and consciousness of being.
Before we go on to discuss the numerous benefits of a good posture, we should talk about how to improve posture and make our personality more attractive, approachable and standing out from others. Most of our posture is a combination of our consciousness, practice and attitude.
You will notice people who are open to ideas and communication exhibit a relaxed posture, which is welcoming and candid. People who are nervous in a certain situation are often seen to show a shakiness and fidgety attitude via their posture. You will find a person who is unwilling to compromise and is firmly sticking to their decision exhibiting a stern posture, with their arms locked.
Therefore, we see that a lot can be told about a person just by looking at their posture and how they choose to conduct their body language. So, by practicing to notice and check our posture, we can avoid unwanted exhibition of our negative thoughts in our professional space and show reveal our confidence, openness and welcoming attitude towards situations.
Benefits of Good Posture
There are innumerable benefits of good posture, both on the body and the mind of a person. Let us walk you through some of the benefits which will surely lure you into practicing a good posture. They are as follows:
1. Healthy Bones:
One of the many benefits of good posture is that it ensures that the angles at which the bones are consciously placed during long days at work as well as on lazy weekends and vacations are proper and not one bone is carrying more burden of the bodyweight than it is capable of. With an equal distribution of the weight of our body throughout the skeletal structure, the bones are healthy and super strong, just how we want them to be.
2. Healthy Muscles:
When you constantly choose to work on your posture consciously, you try and make sure that all the muscles are in the proper balance of working and rest. It reduces the chance of a few sets of muscles getting worked up and fatigued, while the others are totally inactive during the major chunk of the day. This is a great benefit of good posture.
3. Healthy Spine:
A good posture requires that the back is always supported and straight. It honors the natural curvature of the spine. The spinal cord is essentially the seat of the entire nervous system and houses the reflexes and nervous responses for the entire body. Therefore, by imbibing it into everyday life, the entire body will reap the benefits of good posture.
4. Improved Blood Circulation:
When the body honors the shape and structure of the body, there is a great alignment between the elements of our structure, and thus, the blood circulation of our body is at its best. Therefore, it also ensures that the heart and blood pressure are in great control and it can be listed as one of the most amazing benefits of good posture.
5. Fewer Chances of Ailments Like Arthritis, Spondylitis, etc:
Arthritis is a disease that is caused by inflammation in the skeletal structure and spondylitis is a kind of arthritis that is targeted to the spine. These are controllable by regularly exercising so that the joints are nurtured properly. One of the many benefits of a good posture is that the joints are nurtured even when you step away from your yoga mat, giving more power to you and your skeletal system.
6. Enhanced Mood:
As we all know, when our body feels great, our mind feels great as well. So, if you practice good posture, you can bid goodbye to your mid-day mood swings and dip your legs in the endless serotonin (happy hormone) that you have access to.
7. Better Quality of Breathing:
Since our body alignment is proper, the diaphragm works to its optimum capacity to expand our chest cavity during inhalation and contract it during exhalation. Our breath is very important for our well-being and if the oxygen properly reaches every part of our being, there is an overall improvement in the quality of our life.
8. Better Digestion:
The benefits of good posture towards the digestion of our food are two-fold. Firstly, a straight spine ensures that our oesophagus is also straight, which means that the pathway between the mouth and stomach is straight and free from any hurdles. Secondly, with a better quality of breath, the process of simplification of food becomes faster.
This is the precise reason our elders always used to ensure that we ate all our meals in a straight-backed manner.
9. Increase Productivity:
When our body has great blood circulation and an amazing quality of breathing, the brain receives optimum blood flow and oxygen supplies. When that happens, the brain functions to its maximum level which increases the concentration and thus, there is a significant increase in productivity. Therefore, it is a great benefit of good posture.
10. More Energy:
One of the most awesome benefits of good posture is that there is a considerable improvement in our energy level once we choose to practice and bring perfection to our posture. With improved digestion, the food gets easily absorbed into the body, and with healthy bones and muscles, we are more energized than ever.
Also, there are fewer chances of a fatigued brain with all of that great supply of blood and oxygen to the brain. So, enjoy a good boost in your energy level once you choose to work on your posture.
11. Better Appearance:
When you sit or stand consciously, your posture speaks for itself. Thus, the way you conduct your body language under various circumstances gives a glimpse of your personality, responsiveness towards situations, and your mindset. When you bring all of that to the table, you look better, more confident, and professional. That is a great benefit of good posture.
12. Slimmer and Poignant Look:
With great posture comes great advantages. A slimmer look is a hit among the youth today and a great posture helps you achieve just that. One of the benefits of great posture is that it helps you look composed, slim and graceful even with the most ordinary clothing and amidst the most regular circumstances.
How to Improve Posture with Consciousness
Since there are innumerable benefits of good posture, we should always try to practice improving our posture with consciousness and caution. So, let’s decode how to improve posture in this segment of our article.
- We must always keep our spine straight while sitting in one place, as well as while walking.
- Try to hug your lower ribs while sitting or standing. That way, the spine is straighter than usual.
- Try to keep your shoulders relaxed and not stiff, while sitting, or standing.
- While sitting, try to ensure that your feet are rested either on the floor or a footrest. Don’t let the feet hang in the air.
- While sitting, make sure that the hips are fully supported and you are balancing yourself well. Look for comfort in your seated position.
- Where to keep your hands is a real struggle. Rather than clutching your arms with opposite arms, try to rest the arms on the chairs when you are sitting, and while standing, try to let the hands hang in the air naturally.
- While standing, try to ensure that your body weight is spread evenly between the four corners of your both feet.
- Tug in your chin just a little bit so that there is an elongation in your neck. That way, there will be less tension in your neck.
- Try to take frequent walks between sitting in one place for a long time.
- Take breaks between long hours of sitting and twist your spine every once in a while.
- Rest your wrists and the ball joints of the feet, try to move them in a circle, to take the tension out of them.
- While working in front of a computer or at the study table, try to keep the angle between the shoulders and the arms at a right angle to the extent possible.
- Try to support your back in case you have to sit at one place for a long time.
- Try to adjust your space according to your height and how much you weigh.
- Avoid lying down on your back while working on a computer or reading a book.
- Be constantly mindful of your surroundings, what makes you comfortable, and how you are feeling about a certain situation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is there a professional who can be consulted regarding our body posture?
Yes, a professional who acts as a consultant about our body posture, alignment, etc. is termed as a chiropractor. You can seek their guidance and advice regarding your posture.
Can body postures be improved via exercise?
Yes, body posture can always be improved via mindful exercises such as Yoga, Pilates, Pranayama, etc.
Can a good posture delay ageing?
Even though I am a firm believer in owning your age and rocking it anyway, practicing a good posture can help in delaying and controlling the ill effects of ageing such as brittle bones, weak joints, fatigue, etc.
How long does it take to perfect the posture?
Posture is a lifestyle which you have to choose every day, consciously and continuously. There is no timeline as to when it will come naturally to you, but, nonetheless, you have to keep choosing it.
Final Words
Posture is a really important part of our being and defines who we are as people to a great extent. In addition to our personality, the benefits of good posture go far and wide in improving our health. It relieves the body from pains, fatigue and boosts the energy level as a whole. So, rather than finding an alternative, it is wise to look into how a improve posture and start working on it right away – consciously and every day.
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