The negative effects poor posture can have
Having bad posture is usually something that develops over time, and if not corrected, it can lead to some serious negative side effects.
Over time, poor posture can alter the shape of a person’s spine. When this happens, the spine, which is built to naturally absorb shock and maintain proper balance, is completely compromised and will not function as it should. There are plenty of negative effects that occur as a result of poor posture.
Poor Digestion
If you work a desk job you know how easy it is to let your neck and shoulders slouch over your chest and abdomen. Nonetheless, it is essential that you try your best to keep your back straight. Sitting in a slouched position compresses your abdominal organs, including your digestive tract. Over time, this can really affect your metabolism and ability to process food correctly.
Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Slouching puts the same pressure that it puts on your stomach, which squeezes both your heart and lungs. Poor posture impairs circulation, which makes it harder for your heart to do its important work. Researchers even showed that the posture people use when they spend time on a smartphone reduces respiratory function. Altogether, this means that bad posture reduces the oxygen that gets to your tissues.
Back Pain
One of the most common effects of bad posture is chronic back pain, usually because of disc degeneration, or simply from the excess pressure being suffered by the spine. Disc degeneration occurs when the disks between the vertebrae thin out and lose their cushioning. But can also lead to aches and pains throughout the back, so you should keep log of when and where they occur.
Nerve Constriction
As the spine and other bones alter their position due to the long-term effects of poor posture, the skeletal system begins to come into contact with surrounding nerves and “pinch” them. These pinched nerves can cause neck and back pain, but they can also cause pain in what seems to be unrelated areas of the body.
Poor Circulation
Our body was made to move fluids and gases and when you sit all day with poor posture, you’re preventing your body from getting the necessary circulation it needs. Prolonged sitting, especially with your legs crossed, can cut off the flow, increase pressure and even cause varicose veins.
Self awareness is the best tool to check-in and assess whether we are slouching, hunching over a computer or simply just not standing up straight. It's something that can be fixed promptly with awareness, using mobility exercises and increasing strength and flexibility. But some effects can be far more serious and will need to be addressed and not ignored. There unfortunately are those of us who as a result have spinal deformities or varied injuries in our back that may of even started to effect other parts of our anatomy. For those specific people, we can only urge you to see a health professional, in order to workout what the best method of rehabilitation is.
A few exercises you can do to help maintain a healthy spine day-to-day are: cat cow movements, cobra pose, seated twist and bridge pose - be sure to read our other article on tips and form for these exercises.
