Better health
A poor posture can increase the risk of a lot of ailments, including:
- Back ache
- Slipped disc
- Shoulder pain
- Neck pain
- Hip pain
- Knee pain
Better breathing
With a poor posture, it becomes difficult to breathe correctly. You can try it out yourself right away. How much air can you inhale when you are slouching? And how much when you have straighten yourself?
Yoga and pilates are two examples of exercises that tend to have a lot of focus on improving both breathing and posture at the same time.
Better concentration
When you are getting enough oxygen, it will be easier for you to stay concentrated.
The brain is an organ that needs a lot of oxygen. It only weighs around 1.5 kg in an adult, but will use up roughly 20% of the oxygen you inhale. No other organ in the body is this oxygen-hungry in relation to its size and weight. The brain is also uses up a disproportionate amount of energy and this is the key to understanding why it needs so much oxygen.
Better impression
Generally speaking, a person with a good posture will come across as:
- healthier
- happier
- more confident
- more assertive
- more attractive
As humans, we are quick to judge based on our first glance of someone. Even if we consciously think that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, it has proven very difficult to convince our subconscious about that.
This doesn’t just impact how we see others – it impacts our own sense of our selves as well. Who do you see when you look in the mirror or catch a glance of yourself in the shop window? Is it a person with good posture who exudes happiness, health, strength, confidence, and assertiveness?
But what is a good posture?
When we talk about maintaining a good posture, many people will automatically assume that we mean someone who is straight and stiff as a rake. They will also assume that good posture is an uncomfortable and unnatural position that takes a lot of effort to maintain.
In reality, keeping your back 100% straight is not a good posture – and it is actually bad for you. What you should aim for is instead a posture where you maintain the two natural curves of your back:
- The concave curve that runs from the base of your head to your shoulders
- The concave curve that runs from your upper back to the base of your spine
