3 Scary and Surprising Ways Your Poor Posture is Impacting You

Adults told us as children to sit up straight. Little did we know that this is probably one of the best pieces of life advice we will get!

Bad habits in how we sit and stand can have a profoundly negative impact on our long-term health.

But how can poor posture result in back pain and other health issues? Here’s everything you need to know.

How Can Poor Posture Result in Back Pain?

The spine is one of the most critical parts of the body and something we take for granted. From the base of your back to your neck, spines connect the brain with the body, controlling movement and registering pain.

Our spine is made up of soft spongy disks that give us the flexibility to move and bend. However, this design is also vulnerable to bad posture.

Too much slouching in the shoulders and bending of the neck can cause wear and tear on these disks and, over time, can cause irreparable damage.

Poor Posture Can Lead to Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a painful condition experienced by around one in five people in the US.

Over time, poor posture can irritate ligaments and joints and can increase your risk of developing this incurable chronic condition.

Poor Posture Can Give You Digestion Problems

When we think about poor posture, we typically imagine that we are causing damage to the spinal area. While poor posture can commonly lead to back problems such as a slipped disk, it also has other implications.

One area of the body that can suffer because of bad posture is the body’s digestion system. When you slouch, you are putting more weight and pressure on the stomach.

If you do this after eating a large meal, it can slow down your digestion, leaving you with stomach pains or acid reflux.

Poor Posture Can Result in Rib Pain

Here’s one that might surprise you. Constant slouching can cause problems to your rib cage and leave you with persistent rib pain.

When you lean forward for a long time, as many of us do when we are looking at our phones, you put more weight on your rib cage than it was designed to take. Doing this can leave you with sharp, stabbing, acute rib pain.

How to Improve Your Posture

One of the easiest ways of improving your posture is to stand more often. Sitting on soft chairs can contribute to posture problems.

Gentle stretching exercises or yoga can help your body stay in alignment and improve your posture.

You can also invest in devices designed to improve your body’s alignment, such as the Rectifier by Starecta.

Bad Posture Is Not Inevitable

How can poor posture result in back pain? Isn’t back pain something everyone experiences as they age?

The answer is no. You can avoid pains and other health ailments by taking the time to correct your posture now before it’s too late.

Before you go, read through our health section to investigate other small changes you can make now that will improve your long-term health prospects.