You may recall bad memories of a family member, probably your mother or grandmother, telling you constantly to sit up straight and stop slouching. Well, as usual, mother knows best and she wasn’t kidding around. Practicing good posture and avoiding bad habits like slouching actually benefits your body in ways you may not have thought of.

Most people tend to notice when someone has good posture. It’s all in the body language. For most of us, we hardly pay attention to the way we sit or stand. Office jobs especially call for hours of sitting on our rumps so it’s natural for the body to slowly slouch as the day wears on. However, such practices can make things worse for you in the long run. If you haven’t had the chance to discipline yourself into sitting up straight and attaining better posture, then maybe the following health benefits will help convince you.

Did you know that by simply having good posture, your internal organs are able to function at their best? It’s true. When you have good posture, your muscles, ligaments and joints are upright and able to do their jobs efficiently - not to mention your bones are also properly aligned. In this sense, posture plays a role in your health, especially as you get older.

While you may not be hurting now, maintaining bad posture habits will catch up with you eventually. When you constantly slouch, you’re putting a lot of strain on your muscles, including the spine. The effects of poor posture over a period of time can result in constricting the blood vessels, nerves and the discs and joints of your spine. So when you start to experience everything from back pain to neck pain and headaches, chances are your bad posture has something to do with it.

The good news is that you can break yourself out of bad posture habits regardless of what age you are. Of course the sooner you start practicing good posture in life, the better off you’ll be. For those of you confined to the office/cubicle for hours out of the day, make sure to sit in a chair that is suited to your particular body type and sitting position. This is where having an ergonomic chair comes in handy. Additionally, it’s never good for your body overall to sit in the same position throughout the day. Make it a habit to get up periodically, stretch your muscles and walk around to relieve your spine and neck of tension. To keep yourself in top condition, it also helps to incorporate stretching exercises a few times a week. This will strengthen your muscles and joints and keep your flexible. Inactivity paired with poor posture makes for a terrible combination and effect on your body and health.

Surprisingly, having good posture can also be harmful if you go to the extremes. Avoid standing or sitting up too straight for too long, as this can also cause back aches. As long as you stretch and give yourself breaks, you should be able to have good posture that won’t work against you.

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