Posture is the way you hold your body. It can be when you are moving or when you are not moving. Dynamic posture is when you are running, walking, or in movement, while static posture is standing, sleeping, or standing.
Good Posture Vs. Poor Posture
Good posture is when the spine is aligned correctly when moving or when static. The spine has a natural curvature, and good posture is training yourself to hold your body so that the spine maintains this natural curvature against gravity.
Good posture is essential because it keeps your bones and joints in the best-aligned position, which is important to avoid increased wear and tear on some of them. Good posture helps to maintain a balance between the skeleton and muscles.
Poor posture, on the other hand, is when the spine is in an unnatural position. The spine has three natural curves, and when either of these curves is emphasized, the spine will not be in its natural position, which then causes strain on the joints and bones because of the misalignment of the spine.
Bad posture can result from gravity, an injury, illness, genetics, poor sleeping habits such as sleeping on a too hard or too soft mattress, sitting for too long in front of a computer, and many other causes. With time, the spine adapts to the unnatural positions and feels more comfortable in these positions, which leads to the muscles, joints, and spine being in continual stressful positions. Over time, poor posture will cause pressure to build upon the tissues, muscles, and joints.
Some of the most common issues from poor posture are lower back pain, shoulder, neck, and arm pain. Other common issues are knee problems, muscles straining, especially when you try to work out, and in some extreme cases, headaches, digestive issues, and shorter breaths. https://family-budgeting.co.uk/how-things-like-poor-posture-and-how-you-sleep-affect-you-in-the-future/
Future Effects Of How You Sleep
How you sleep can affect how your spine is aligned. If you wake up with discomfort or pain that you don’t experience during the day it is indicative of having poor sleep posture which can cause harmful effects in the future such as migraines If your sleep posture is not aligned correctly, it can cause some back areas to be strained, which can cause back pain, neck stiffness or soreness, or increased tightness on the back and other muscle areas.
Prolonged poor sleeping patterns can cause chronic pain in the neck or the back, leading to the development of other issues such as migraines. In the future, sleeping in positions that lead to poor posture or aggravate already poor posture may lead to obstructive sleep apnea because of the unnatural position of the spine in the neck curvature and other breathing problems. It will lead to poor sleep because you cannot find a comfortable position to sleep or wake up more tired than when you went to sleep.
Effects of Poor Posture In the Future
Poor posture mainly causes pain and aches in the body. This is because of the strain caused by the unnatural position of the spine on the muscles and joints. The discomfort can begin in the knees, shoulders, neck, arms, and over time, pain can develop on the head and cause serious health issues such as digestive, respiratory and lead to scoliosis. Some of these effects in the future are:
- Spine Curving Unnaturally
The spine curves naturally in three areas and forms a slight S shape. Poor posture will cause the spine’s shape to change so that one or more of these spine curvatures become realigned to the wrong posture. A misaligned spine curvature will lead to pain, especially in the lower back, and will reduce the ability of the spine to absorb impact.
The spine is designed to absorb impact and keep the body steady. A misaligned spine formed over time by bad posture will significantly reduce this ability, leading to a more serious injury occurring on the body.
- Pain
Back pain is one of the main effects of poor posture. Lower back pain is one of the most common indicators of not having the proper posture. Slouching or leaning forward for long periods causes the back muscles to flatten, which causes pain in the tailbone part of the back. Neck pain is another result that develops because the neck muscles become tightened because of being strained. It can result in headaches caused by the tension of these tight muscles.
- Digestive and Respiratory issues
When the spine is misaligned due to poor posture, the internal organs can be compressed, which will slow down the digestive process or interfere with breathing so that you are forced to take shallow breaths leading to labored breathing.
- Reduced Concentration
All these physical symptoms will affect you mentally because of the pain and discomfort caused by the physical effects of not having good posture. You get tired faster and more quickly since your muscles are strained, which will lead to less concentration because, physically, you are uncomfortable. Less oxygen in the brain caused by shallow breaths can lead to fatigue and reduced ability to concentrate.
- Disability
If prolonged, bad posture can lead to a disability. This disability occurs especially when the spine is compressed and the spaces in the vertebrae become smaller, which leads to the nerves being compressed. That will lead to a permanent bad posture because you will tend to lean forward to increase the space so that the nerves are not compressed. It will lead to a structural deformity of the spine which may lead to eventual disability.
- Negative Mood
Bad posture can affect one’s mood because of the constant pain and discomfort. It can also lead to lower self-esteem because of the position of the body and how it presents itself.
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