Good Posture = Good Health

Posture ranks right up at the top of the list when you are talking a bout good health. It is as important as eating right, exercising, getting a good night's sleep and avoiding potentially harmful substances like alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Good posture is a way of doing things with more energy, less stress and fatigue. Without good posture, you can't really be physically fit.

Surprised? Well, you're not alone. The importance of good posture in an overall fitness program is often overlooked by fitness advisers and fitness seekers alike. In fact, the benefits of good posture may be among the best kept secrets of the current fitness movement. The good news is that most everyone can avoid the problems caused by bad posture ...and you can make improvements at any age.

Good Posture is Good Health

We're a health conscious society today and good posture is a part of it because good posture means your bones are properly aligned and your muscles, joints and ligaments can work as nature intended. It means your vital organs are in the right position and can function at peak efficiency. Good posture helps contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system.

Without good posture, your overall health and total efficiency may be compromised. Because the long-term effects of poor posture can affect bodily systems (such as digestion, elimination, breathing, muscles, joints and ligaments), a person who has poor posture may often be tired or unable to work efficiently or move properly.

Even for younger people, how you carry yourself when working, relaxing or playing can have major effects. Did you know that just fifteen minutes of reading or typing, when using the wrong positions, exhausts the muscles of your neck, shoulders and upper back?

What is Normal Posture?

Perfect standing posture is when the following are properly aligned - the points between your eyes, chin, collarbone, breastbone, pubic area and midpoint between your ankles.

From the side, you can easily see the three natural curves in your back; from the front, your shoulders, hips and knees are of equal height; your head is held straight, not tilted or turned to one side; and from the back, the little bumps on your spine should be in a straight line down the center of your back.

Obviously, no one spends all day in this position. But if you naturally assume a relaxed standing posture, you will carry yourself in a more balanced position and with less stress in your other activities.