Our posture is the window to our spine’s health. The stereotypical admonition by the moms of America to their children to “sit up straight!” rings true! The more we give in to the relentless forces of gravity, the more apt we are to suffer the effects of degenerative joint disease as we age. Following are four suggestions about how to improve posture.
- Put both feet on the floor.
Sitting or standing with your legs crossed twists your bones and can cause circulation problems. Uncross your legs and put both feet on the floor to improve posture now. - Think tall.
Slouching hurts your spine and compresses your organs. Instead of slouching, think tall, lengthening your spine, and giving your organs plenty of room to work. Tall posture helps you look and feel better. - Mind your head.
Your head is supposed to perch alertly on top of your spine, not roll forward. Instead, pull your head up and avoid forward head posture. Some people combat forward head posture by imagining themselves as puppets with strings extending up out of their heads. - Adjust your load.
If you are carrying something, try to distribute the weight evenly over both sides of your body. If you must carry something on just one side (like a purse), switch sides occasionally. Don’t let your load ruin your posture.
When we hear of people spending many thousands of dollars with aesthetic dentists to straighten out crooked smiles, we wonder how the priorities for crooked spines have gotten neglected? Perhaps because our smiles are visible to us in the mirror, but only others can see our humps and slumps as we assume the postures of our grandparents. You can take the first step to good posture today by scheduling a free posture assessment at Eastside Chiropractic. Our doctors will analyze your posture and recommend various programs and methods to help you achieve the correct posture your mother would be proud of! Call 864-292-6777.
Want to know more? Get more information about posture from the American Chiropractic Association.