Posture in Calgary

Good posture is not only attractive; it has numerous health benefits. It limits back and neck pain and contributes to physical strength, balance, flexibility, and coordination. Poor posture places more demands on our muscles and nervous system lowering our physical capacity which increases fatigue.

The Effect of Emotions

Posture has an emotional component and reflects your mental state. If someone’s feeling low or in a depressed state, they’ll typically have a more rounded slumped carriage. On the other hand, if you feel good about yourself, you’ll likely sit up straighter with a more open chest position.

The Importance of Movement

Maintaining good posture is a challenge when you are in a static position for many hours. Typically people with the demands of their job are not moving around being active but instead either sit or stand all day.

It is important to purposely introduce movement into your day. Having a dynamic versus static posture is crucial. Plan to take micro-breaks from positions and longer breaks. If you’re sitting or standing for hours on end, that’s not good even if your posture alignment is good.

So how often should you change positions? Ideally, you should alter positions every 20 minutes, because that’s how long tissue takes to deform to a new position. Introduce a microbreak of 30 -90 seconds where you sit back and stretch or stand and bend forward or even do a few seconds of isometric contraction of the muscles that have been in a stretched position. You can set a timer on your watch or have some other cue.

The Role of Chiropractic

Chiropractic alone doesn’t change your posture. However, the mobility and improved function that occurs with chiropractic treatment of your spine and pelvis make a significant difference in helping you to optimize your alignment. This type of natural care will open up your joints and take away a lot of the stiffness, tightness, and pain that hinder you from sitting in a proper position.

Exercises & Education

At Adjusted For Life Chiropractic Health Centre, we also provide patients with beneficial exercises that can help with the long-term, more structural causes of poor posture.

Posture in Calgary | (403) 284-4743