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Proper Posture can relieve pain, reduce stress and enhance appearance

Carol Krucoff, E-RYT

Watch people as they walk, sit or stand, and you’ll see why so many of us suffer from pain in the neck, back and shoulders.

Poor posture is rampant in our culture, particularly an imbalance known as “forward head”— where the shoulders round and the neck juts forward. Typically caused by spending so much time hunched over desks, steering wheels and computers, this poor alignment is linked with a wide array of ailments–from headaches and stiff neck, to breathing problems, digestive difficulties and back ache.

The human head weighs about 10 to 15 pounds—about the same as a bowling ball. Imagine holding a bowling ball in front of you all day, and you’ll get a feel for what happens with “forward head” posture. When the head is carried in front of the shoulders, the neck and surrounding muscles must work hard to support its weight. This is why habitually sitting and standing with a forward head posture creates tension and strain in the neck, shoulders and back. This can lead to headaches and upper body pain. In addition, this “crunched” forward posture can interfere with proper breathing and digestion.

One of the biggest challenges in correcting bad posture is that most poor alignment habits are deeply ingrained. So these are not problems that will go away overnight. Proper posture is something you need to be aware of continually throughout the day.

While improving posture takes work, the results–pain relief, improved health and enhanced appearance–can be far-reaching. One unexpected bonus is the “instant weight loss” effect of good posture. Slumping can cause the belly to protrude, which means that—when you learn how to stand properly—it often looks as if you’ve suddenly lost five pounds.

In addition, good posture can give you an emotional lift, since the way you hold your body affects the way you feel, and vice versa. People who carry themselves with good alignment seem confident and graceful, while those whose posture reflects a physical slump often appear to be in a mental slump as well.

To boost your posture, try these good posture tips and pointers:

* Imagine there’s a headlight right in the middle of your chest at the sternum (breast bone). Make sure it shines forward, not down in your lap when you’re sitting or toward the floor when you’re standing.

* Extend the top of your head up as if you were trying to touch it to the ceiling. Be sure to keep your chin parallel to the floor as you do this. Avoid letting your chin tilt up or tuck in.

* Keep your head balanced over your shoulder girdle so that—if someone was looking at you from the side—the hole in your ear would line up directly over your shoulder.

* Exercise regularly. Walking, swimming and other general conditioning exercises are helpful. In addition, do resistance and flexibility exercises designed to strengthen the muscles that are weak and stretch those that are tight.

* Avoid sitting for extended periods. Take brief walking breaks as often as possible, or at least stand up and stretch frequently. In particular, arch the body back to counter time spent rounded forward.

*When driving, try to keep the back of your head against the headrest.

* Consult a health professional skilled in body mechanics and alignment, such as a physical therapist, yoga instructor, qualified personal trainer or movement therapist.

* Try an old-fashioned posture booster: Balance a small pillow on the top of your head and go about your routine activities for a few minutes. To keep it from falling, you’ll have to pay attention to good posture.

Carol Krucoff, E-RYT, is a Yoga Therapist at Duke Integrative Medicine and co-author of Healing Moves. Carol’s latest book is “Healing Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain,” which can be found at

www.HealingMoves.com

An award-winning journalist, Carol served as founding editor of the Health Section of the Washington Post, where she worked as a reporter and editor for 10 years. Her syndicated column, “Bodyworks,” ran in newspapers around the USA from 1988 to 2000. Carol Krucoff is a frequent contributor to Yoga Journal, and her articles have appeared in numerous national publications including The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, The Los Angeles Times, SELF and Glamour.

Again, visit www.HealingMoves.com for more good posture tips, exercises to correct posture, Yoga exercises and more. Oh, and remember to keep visiting The Ultimate Stress Blog.