Proper posture – why it's important: Pulmo Sleep Elixir✓

No matter how good you look, poor posture cannot be hidden. Not only does a hunched back detract from your overall visual image, but it also significantly affects both the physical and mental state of the patient.

A hunched back causes pain, which can often be constant, take on acute characteristics, and significantly disrupt our daily functioning. From back pain caused by poor posture, pain can extend to the arms, fingers can tingle, knees can buckle, or a characteristic “burning” sensation can appear in the feet.

It should also be noted that poor posture is not only aesthetically unappealing but also affects the health of internal organs, so correct posture can protect you from abdominal expansion issues, poor digestion and absorption, irregular breathing, poor circulation, and ultimately from cardiovascular problems.

Poor posture in children – early signs and how to address them?

Poor posture most often affects children at an early school age due to changes in habits and the incorporation of responsibilities such as carrying a school bag, studying, and doing homework in a sitting position.

If children are not promptly informed about poor posture and directed to exercises for correct posture – the problem deepens as they grow up, with the spine and nerves adapting to new habits and bending more and more.

To ensure proper growth and development, it is important to detect poor posture at an early age, and we can observe their posture when standing, sitting, or moving. If poor posture is not detected in time, it can lead to structural or static deformities over time, which are more difficult to correct with certain exercises later on.

Therefore, systematic examinations of children before school age for early detection of congenital and acquired developmental changes are invaluable, as what may escape the parental or educator's eye – will not escape the expert’s.

What are the first and most common changes in the spinal column of a child that require immediate exercise intervention?

• Kyphosis (forward curvature of the spine),
• Scoliosis (lateral curvature of the spine),
• “Flat back” (when spinal curves are not noticeable),
• Flat feet, etc.

Poor posture and health deformities

When we hold our body in the ideal position, it requires optimal functioning of organs and muscles, which improves your strength and performance, whether you are a professional athlete or just trying to stay in good shape.

Poor posture in women often involves pelvic inclination – a position where the pelvis or buttocks are pushed too far backward, while the chest is pushed too far forward. This results in an excessively curved spine in the lumbar region and is very poor posture.

Certain professions can also be “guilty” and the starting point for poor posture.

Due to the nature of their work, dentists and hairdressers put more strain on one side of the body (most often the right), creating asymmetrical posture of the left and right sides of the body.

How to improve posture?

Have you also been constantly reminded to straighten your back?

Proper posture is not something that is “used up”, and poor posture does not catch up with us suddenly and is not the result of our years – just as it is not something that can be easily corrected. It takes time to get used to proper posture and to correct posture, and in the end, to be free from back pain.

Even if you haven’t adhered to the advice of parents or friends to walk upright on time, don’t worry – you still have the opportunity to achieve proper posture and a pain-free walk, sitting, or lying down with a few tips and necessary changes in your daily routine and habits.

Tips for correct posture – exercises as a priority

For proper posture, it is crucial to adopt rules for the “correct” position of the back, pelvic alignment, chest, and shoulders. These movements are best practiced under the supervision of specialists, physiatrists, and physiotherapists who help patients improve their physical condition and thereby prevent deviations and injuries of the head, spine (vertebrae), nervous, and respiratory systems.

Posture exercises can also be performed at home. It is best to have the assistance of a physiotherapist, especially if the person is older or seriously injured and has difficulty performing movements.

A physiotherapist can closely assess the patient’s health condition, continuously monitor progress, adjust the exercise program according to that progress, and help the patient become independent and use aids properly or, in the best case – their limbs.

What does proper posture look like?

1. When bones and joints are in alignment so that muscles can be used properly.
2. When the spine has its three normal curves, and they are easily visible/palpable.
3. When the ligaments holding the spine together are not emphasized – not swollen or protruding.
4. When a child or adult does not tire quickly and does not complain of back pain, rib pain, or other organs maintained by muscles.

The easiest exercises for improving posture

To maintain a good posture and correct body alignment, and to avoid all the problems that come with poor posture, it is most important to build (and maintain) strong and flexible muscles – especially on both sides of the spine. Adequate and consistent physical activity (sports, gym, swimming, jogging, etc.) will “pump up” muscles and keep bones in balance while sitting in a chair or standing.

What are the best exercises for proper posture?

1. Yoga – an excellent way to achieve proper posture is yoga classes, with stretching and strengthening of the muscles in the extremities and back.
2. Lie on your stomach, face down. Slowly lift your upper body as high as you can. The arms should be fixed on the hips. Hold this position, which activates the largest number of muscles until you feel tension. Do 10 repetitions.

If you do this exercise daily, continuously increasing the number of repetitions, your back will straighten very quickly.

3. Gym – at least a month in the gym (preferably with the help of a trainer) and with weights will strengthen your leg, arm, but most importantly, back and buttock muscles. Exercises like dead/ Romanian lifting, hyperextensions, rowing, etc., will do wonders for your posture in a short time.

What else can help?

1. “Stretch” the spine – Stand with your feet apart and raise your arms upward. Imagine that someone is pulling you upward, but make sure not to rise on your toes. Hold for about 5 seconds, relax your arm muscles, and repeat two more times.
2. Support the lower back – Roll up a towel and place it between you and the seat in the car. This will reduce the reflexive need to slouch while sitting.
3. Change positions while standing, sitting, or sleeping – Instead of leaning back in a chair, sit on the edge so that your back does not touch the backrest. Also, when lying on your side, place a pillow between your knees. Sleeping in the right position can also improve posture during the day.

When you get engrossed in work and stop thinking about proper posture, the situation easily worsens and you find yourself making the same mistake again. Set an alarm on your mobile phone or computer to remind you every hour to straighten up.

Untimely treatment of poor posture causes numerous and more serious skeletal and internal organ diseases, and inadequate exercise approaches can lead to a “vicious circle” of recurrences in changes to the innervation of ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

Pay attention to your offspring, or use a mirror when preparing for work the next morning. You might notice a more pronounced lumbar region or a more prominent cervical vertebra in that reflection. All is well – anything we notice in time, we can also change, and health requires special care and attention to serve us well and reliably for a long time.