Good Posture is Key to Having a Healthy Spine

When was the last time you gave your spine or your posture the thought it deserves?

If the answer is you cannot remember when then you are in a close knit group. Very few people give their spine, much less their posture any thought at all. We often forget that posture plays an integral role in keeping the body balanced and well aligned.

Bad posture can occur very easily without realizing what you are doing. It is not until you begin to experience back aches, shoulder pains or muscle aches that you will realize that you are hunching, slouching or simply letting your body get into whatever position it wants to get into.

Bad posture is a bad habit that anyone can fall into. Good posture is something that you must make an effort to maintain. Having the best posture possible is good news for your spine in every way. When you stand tall in the proper way that nature intended you will look and feel more self-confident and your overall sense of well-being will be improved upon. Try it and see!

The Picture of Good Posture

What does good posture look like? The body is straight but it is not supposed to be robotic. It needs to line up properly and look relaxed as it does so. This means that your ears, your shoulders, your hips, your knees and your ankles are all supposed to align in such a way that they look like they fall into one fluid line.

A person who exhibits good posture is said to have musculoskeletal balance. This means that all of their muscles and bones are aligned correctly. When this balance occurs it lends itself to a healthier body because the joints of the spine are protected from a great deal of undue stress and strain.

Good posture fosters the best of relations with the back because they work in tandem with one another. Having excellent posture can also protect you from many injuries and in some cases will prevent the onset of spinal deformities.

To take care of your spine and everything that is attached to it you need to learn what proper posture is and then you need to practice it every day. Practice makes perfect after all! You also need to learn not just how to stand properly to reduce stress on your back but also how to sit properly and even the best positions for sleeping.

As if you needed another reason to exercise more, here is another one- regular physical activity makes it possible for your joints and muscles to be flexible. The more flexible they are, the less chance that they will fall victim to injuries because they will have a high level of mobility. This also lends your spinal column a helping hand in being healthy.

Good posture is not difficult to achieve. All it takes is some awareness of where you are on the posture perfect scale and some honest-to-goodness effort!

For more information and insights on good posture please visit these websites:

http://thinksimplenow.com/health/dont-break-your-back-tips-to-healthy-posture/
http://www.bodyworkbiz.com/booklets/Posturex.pdf

Samantha

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