Hey you! Sit up straight! If you suffer from issues such as chronic headaches, joint pain, poor circulation, low moods, or poor temperature regulation, there’s a good chance you might need to realign your posture (and get your thyroid checked, but posture is something you can work on as you read this!).
Poor posture is also linked to things like poor cardiovascular functionality, poor mental health, increased likelihood of stress, anxiety and even diabetes, so it’s very important to fix it before it becomes too much of an issue!
Luckily, posture is something that CAN be corrected when caught early enough, and proper alignment exercises practiced. It can be something as simple as committing to realign your spine and literally ‘sit up straight’ whenever you notice yourself hunching over your desk or computer.
Try the following exercises when you first get up in the morning to make sure you start your day with optimum spinal alignment:
Gentle shoulder and neck rolls:
Stand up straight, shoulders relaxed with the top of the head extending upwards. Shrug shoulders up towards the ears and allow them to roll backward and down, and then reverse the direction. Take some neck rolls too in a similar fashion both clockwise and counterclockwise (these exercises can also be practiced seated in a chair with a straight spine).
Standing twist:
Stand tall with both feet planted flat on the floor. Extend the arms out to a 'T' and as you exhale turn the right arm and shoulder back behind the body as the left moves forward, keeping the lower half of the body straight where it is. Inhale here, and twist in the opposite direction on exhale.
You’ll notice immediate results, and begin your journey towards improved overall health too!
“A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind.”
- Morihei Ushiba
Improve your alignment to reduce your risk of arthritis
Prevent and reduce arthritis pain.
One of the leading causes of arthritis is a misalignment of joints and general overexertion of the affected areas. The increased pressure on joints causes the synovial fluid between them to gradually wear down, slowly increasing the bone on bone pressure creating the most common forms of arthritis pain.
It follows then that the pain of wear and tear from arthritic soreness can be reduced and prevented by ensuring the joints are correctly aligned and movement optimized. If you don’t currently suffer from pain but are concerned about developing it, perfecting your posture will also significantly decrease your likelihood of arthritis ever becoming a problem.
If you already feel signs of arthritis setting in or experience regular bouts, it IS possible to reduce the severity of your symptoms by gradually using postural chiropractic alignment exercises and practices to realign the structure of your body.
Remember that regular activity and movement are KEY to maintaining mobility in arthritic joints - even though it might seem counter-intuitive!
Don’t make structural muscles work harder than they need to!
Over-compensation of muscles.
One impact that poor posture has on the body, and the spine, in particular, is that it causes other muscles to over-compensate for the lack of strength in spinal erector muscles.
Understandably, this creates tension and pain in those areas and can require massage or movement therapy, and postural correction exercises to remedy.
For this reason, opposing exercises may be recommended to target areas opposite to the ones which are directly causing pain. The body is all connected, and it should be treated as such!
It’s common for office workers to experience rounded spine and upper back or shoulder pain, and you don’t have to look far to understand why. But did you know that the rounding of the upper back from excessive hours at a computer or reading from a phone screen can be eased slightly by targeting the HIPS?
Doing some gentle hip-opening yoga strengthens and realigns the muscles around the sacrum and lower part of the spine, allowing for the remainder of the spine to remain upright and gather strength.
No matter where the issue might be arising, all it takes is a little awareness, some honest acknowledgment of what’s going on in your body, and some repetitive exercises to help ease symptoms... Look into scheduling a visit with a chiropractor!
Proper Posture Positivity!
Boost your mood with alignment.
I bet you’ve heard of the many physical benefits of maintaining good posture - but what about the mental health benefits?
It’s been proven time and time again that improving posture can improve the signals and neurotransmitters being released and sent up and down the spine towards the glands in the brain. These glands are responsible for the production of ‘happy hormones’ serotonin and dopamine and dictate our overall mood and feelings of contentment.
When the skeleton and nervous system are aligned, they no longer struggle to support the excess weight from misaligned limbs, and they can function optimally allowing joints and bones to maintain a healthier relationship with their supporting muscle groups. This increases functionality automatically and contributes to a boosted mental state!
Proper Posture gives you More Than Just Increased Energy.
Posture and weight.
Proper Posture gives you More Than Just Increased Energy. It’s a no-brainer that reaching and maintaining a healthy physical weight is key to achieving a lasting sense of happiness and overall health. But did you know that good posture also relies on it too?
Carrying excess weight places additional strain on joints, ligaments, and other critical structural areas of the body. The more load placed on these areas, and the longer it continues, the more severe the pain will be and the further the body will fall out of structural alignment.
That’s why losing weight is only half the battle. If you suffer from any of the following it is vital to seek expert advice:
Rounded spine
Sore or stiff joints
Low back pain
Sciatica
Early-onset arthritis
Keeping proper posture also means that your body’s digestive organs have a clearer path to metabolize food, meaning any weight you lose will stay off, and your digestion improves significantly as well.
By holding the proper posture, you’ll burn 10% more calories than maintaining poor posture!
How Does YOUR stress manifest?
Say goodbye to chronic stress.
Depending on your body type, life circumstances, and daily habits, your stress will manifest itself in different areas of your body. Some people feel it in their shoulders, others in their hips and lower back, or even in the form of migraines.
Knowing how YOUR body reacts to stress and tension is vital to any successful chiropractic treatment and will help to identify and treat it as effectively as you can. Relief from chronic stress is another way in which chiropractic work can positively impact your mental health. Your chiropractor will be able to target these areas specifically and, we promise - the more time you spend delving deeper into your discomfort and tension, the fuller and more complete your release will be.
Stop right now and notice where you are clenched and tight... your jaw, neck, shoulders, back? Where do YOU hold tension?
Everything is interconnected and the spine is at the center.
How much do you know about your nervous system?
The spine is the center of many bodily functions and transmissions and often is overlooked for the more external signs and symptoms of imbalance.
The nervous system governs your body’s chemical reactions and helps to regulate things such as hormone production and mood. By properly aligning the spine, chiropractic work assists in regulating and optimizing these reactions. You’ll find that once the spine is aligned, everything else will begin to fall into place - mood fluctuations will cease and posture-related aches and pains will too!
As the nervous system is so interconnected, maximizing alignment impacts the immune system and endocrine system as well as providing endless benefits on overall health and functionality.
Unconscious processes sometimes require conscious manipulation.
By treating the nervous system and realigning it, you allow the body to begin returning to balance via the central nervous system (CNS).
The CNS is connected to the entire body - all organs, systems, and cells answer to it. Why then, do we not place ultimate focus and attention on the spine in other forms of therapeutic treatments?
Regulating the blood and energy flow around the body begins and ends with the spine. So make sure to take yourself and your body seriously the next time something feels ‘off.’ The signs are small at first, but they slowly become more and more evident as we age. Consciously addressing issues is the only way to overcome them, and by choosing to see a chiropractor or functional health expert, you are knowingly taking the next step forward towards this!!
At the end of the day, it’s your body. A professional will help to guide you towards optimal alignment and health.
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live” - Jim Rohn
Posture and Your Thyroid.
Poor posture can put pressure on the support system surrounding your thyroid gland. In some cases, it can cause compression or stretching of the veins and arteries that nourish the thyroid – such as the superior thyroid artery.
Such manipulation of these blood vessels can ultimately result in diminished performance of the thyroid due to blood pressure changes. In extreme cases, this can result in compression of the carotid arteries.
A great place to start when trying to heal your thyroid is with good posture to support spine health! Be especially careful when looking at a screen. If necessary, move it up to avoid straining your neck. Exactly why I bought this awesome computer stand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Poor posture may be to blame for your chronic headaches, joint pain, poor circulation, low moods, or poor temperature regulation. Poor posture is also linked to things like poor cardiovascular functionality, poor mental health, increased likelihood of stress, anxiety and even diabetes.
Misalignment of the spine may be responsible for adverse impacts on the central nervous system.
In addition to chiropractic adjustments, there are simple stretches and movements you can practice daily to reduce pain and discomfort associated with poor alignment.