Slouching the neck and shoulders forward or swaying the back with an exaggerated curve are common examples of poor posture. When you repeatedly sit, stand, or lie down in the wrong positions, you might experience back pain, discomfort, and health problems. According to chiropractors, good posture entails keeping your chin parallel to the ground, rolling your shoulders up and back, and maintaining a neutral spine. Here's what you need to know about the importance of good posture.

4 Reasons Why Good Posture Is Important

1. Keep Your Balance

Correct posture assists with standing up straight, which stabilizes your center of gravity and keeps your weight centered over your feet. This helps you maintain your balance while engaging in physical activities such as running, dancing, and practicing yoga. It also prevents unsteadiness, falls, and injuries while walking, rising from seated positions, and hauling heavy items. 

2. Align Bones & Joints

When you sit, stand, or lie down with good posture, your bones and joints will remain in alignment, which supports the proper function of muscles. When muscles move properly, they put less pressure on joints, which prevents deterioration of cartilage and ligaments that can lead to chronic back pain and degenerative arthritis.  

3. Prevent Neck & Back Pain

Slouching can put pressure on the spinal cord and compress the nerves, resulting in pain, stiffness, or tightness in the neck and back. Poor posture can also exacerbate pain and discomfort associated with pre-existing conditions such as herniated disks and osteoporosis. Sitting upright with your body weight evenly distributed can reduce pressure on the spine and nerves to relieve pain and improve quality of life.

4. Support Proper Breathing

Hunching forward while standing or sitting puts pressure and weight on the ribcage and gradually compresses it over time. This can constrict the internal organs, such as the lungs and diaphragm, and make breathing difficult. Correct posture helps to maintain the correct shape of the ribcage to maximize lung capacity and promote deep breathing.

Improve your posture with help from Get Well Family Chiropractic. Located in Florissant, MO, they provide chiropractic adjustments to relieve spinal compression, align the spine, and relieve back pain in clients throughout North and Northwest St. Louis County. Call (314) 524-2580 to book an appointment for pain management with this chiropractor, and visit the website to learn more about holistic care for overall wellness.