Most chiropractors have the habit of observing posture. It goes with the teritory. Head tilt, rounded shoulders, slouching. It all stands out to a greater degree to one who works at improving the mechanics of the spine.
Recently, while waiting for my flight, I sat in the airport terminal evaluating the posture of the passing travelers. I think they represent a reliable cross section of the population as far as body types, heights, ages etc. What I saw was disappointing but not altogether surprising. I estimate that only one in ten passing by had acceptable posture.
Assuming I want to, how do I improve my posture if I’m one of the nine? A quick and easy way to tell if your posture is sagging has to do with the position of the hands when in the standing position. Here’s what you do.
- Stand looking straight forward into a mirror.
- Let your arms hang, totally relaxed.
- Take note of where your fingers fall in relation to your thighs.
Good posture will have the thumbs close to touching the seams running down on the outside of your pants. Posture in need of improvement will find the tips of the other 4 fingers touching or hovering above the front of the thighs. This indicates a rotating forward of the shoulders and a rounding of the mid back. Gravity pulls us in this direction and it happens whether we are standing or sitting. It can lead to chronic muscular strain, stress back and neck pain and fatigue. It is an indication that joints are not in correct alignment.
Improving posture takes practice and may be uncomfortable at first but with consistent attention to proper exercise you will feel and look and feel better. Try the self exam I described and see how you fare.
If you have questions about posture or if you would like a more extensive evaluation free of charge contact our office and we’ll do the rest.
