As more and more people worldwide are turning health conscious, physical exertion and diets are becoming a part of daily lives. However, despite the quest to stay fit and healthy, one critical area ignored by most individuals is their posture. A staggering 90 per cent of the world population is affected by poor posture. Dance and fitness expert Charu Shankar believes the reason for this lies in our sedentary lifestyles. “Bad posture is induced by sitting too much or hunching over laptops,” she says.
A bad posture can compress your digestive organs affecting your digestive system. A compression in body can also lead to improper breathing.
What is Good Body Posture?
Good posture is determined by an imaginary plumb line which runs through the middle of your body. The body must adjust around the plum line in a way that both, the left and right side of your body are balanced. In other words, the plumb line should go through your earlobe, shoulder joint, hip joint, slightly in front of your knee joint, and just in front of your ankle when viewed sideways.
Since every part of our body, from the ankle joint to the spine, is balanced one upon the other, any deviation can cause a muscular imbalance in the body further affecting the overall body posture.
In such a scenario, some muscles have to work harder than the others, leading some muscles to become stronger than the others. This will eventually affect the overall body posture.
This will also have a rippling effect on joint muscles due to the constant pulling and pushing by dominant muscles. A strain on the joint muscles will cause pain, stiffness and loss of motion throughout the body.
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Common Postural deviations
Forward Tilt of Pelvis
Lower back muscles are extremely important as they not only hold your body upright but also help in battling pain and injuries.
This deformed body condition is developed in people who sit a lot. There is a direct strain on the lower back causing it to develop a curve which is accompanied by a bloated belly.
Ways to Improve The Posture
To align the unbalanced muscles, switch to flexible exercises suitable for hip flexor muscles and lower back
Engage in regular exercises to strengthen abdominals or ab muscles and hamstrings (one of the thigh muscles).
2) Rounded shoulders
Sitting over computer desks, watching television in a curved position or having a hunched position while driving can cause deformities inyour body.
Ways to Improve The Posture
Stretch your tight muscles in the chest, shoulders, lats and hips.
Exercise on a regular basis to build flexibility in the body.
Quick and Easy ways for an Aligned Posture
Include these changes in your daily routine for a better posture.
Is Your Neck Position a prominent body posture issue?
For a correct neck position, always ensure that your ears are in line with your shoulders. A protruding chin and rounded shoulders are signs of poor neck positions. Regular neck retraction exercises are a way to position your neck above the shoulder.
Good posture not only reduces chronic neck pain but also fortifies our muscles, and cardiovascular abilities.
Watch: How To Build And Maintain Body Posture
Build a good body posture to stay fit- mentally, emotionally and physical.