Sit up straight. Stop slouching on the couch while you watch TV. Walk properly and not all hunched over. Stop acting so slovenly. Sit up at your desk so you can think properly.
Do any of these commands sound familiar to you? Maybe they were shouted by one of your parents or the teacher at school? Regardless of who said them, they were not stated solely for nit-picky reasons.
Yes, teachers often told us to sit up and listen because they wanted everyone attentive to the lesson, but there were also health benefits associated with having a straight spine and shoulders back.
Think about finishing schools where they taught young ladies to hold their heads high, their stomachs pushed toward their spines, their backs straight, and the shoulders rounded and back.
People thought these kinds of lessons were for the hoity-toity, but in reality, everyone should learn this specific stance and practice it throughout their lifetime, to maintain the exceptional benefits it provides.
Indeed, stretching for better posture is a well-rounded activity to promote healthier bodies.
Let’s take a look at the twelve ways improving your posture can help you to live a more pain-free and fulfilling life.
#1 Stretching To Reduce Shoulder Pain
When you slouch over whether sitting, standing or walking, the shoulders form in a pointed fashion in a forward direction.
Over time, this can become quite painful because it is not natural to hold the shoulders like that.
If you ever notice when you are sitting at a table or desk, and then you sit up straight, you instantly feel relief in the shoulders. Everything is aligned now, and the pain dissolves.
It is also more restful to hold the shoulders rounded than pointy. It takes the stress off the neck and decreases the chance of headaches, too.
So, if you decide on a regimen of stretching for better posture, it will actually help the pain in the shoulders, neck, and back of the head.
#2 Stretching Exercises For Reduced Blood Pressure
Nowadays, there are millions of people that suffer with high blood pressure. Some are diagnosed with hypertension, and are prescribed drugs to combat the condition, while others, sadly have no idea they even have it.
And while we have zero intention of telling anyone to stop taking their medications, we do feel that stretching to help reduce the blood pressure is something that most individuals can undertake in conjunction with medically prescribed methods.
Most commonly, health practitioners recommend a reduction in salt intake, some physical activity, and processed foods and junk food in moderation.
Aerobic exercises tend to be the go-to physical activity because of all the elements involved. A session usually has a warm-up, cardio, cool-down, stretches, and other movements that enhance flexibility.
But not everyone can get to the classes, and studies have shown that stretching at least five days a week for thirty minutes a day can reduce blood pressure in some individuals. The stretching is supposed to help with stiff arteries and increased blood flow.
Again, we would like to state that everyone’s condition is different, and therefore, the best people to judge what should be done is your own medical personnel that know your history.
#3 Stretching To Reduce Joint Damage
Stretching for better posture lowers the chance of damaging joints. The spine itself has disks, and they can become compressed and damaged, as well.
Hips are particularly susceptible to strain from sitting in the same bad way or on the same side. The joints are worn down over time from being forced into unnatural positions for prolonged periods.
To counteract this, you either have to stretch out the hips with some flexors or refrain from sitting in that unhealthy position. Ideally, you should do both.
#4 Stretching For Energy Boost
Another reason it is important to perform stretches for good posture is they provide a real energy kick at the same time.
We’ve all heard the expressions “shake it out, shake it off, or shake out the cobwebs”. This has to do with stretching to get the blood moving, the oxygen flowing, and the brain stimulated.
It produces positive vibes, rather than the sluggish feelings that inactivity breeds. Stretches instantly provide the body with new life. We can focus again, and move on with the task-at-hand.
#5 Stretching To Improve Balance
Good posture and balance go hand in hand. As we age, we tend to be less stable on our feet and that makes it more important to work toward improving our posture, both in straightness and strength. A frail spine could cause a fall which in turn could break a hip. A snowball effect ensues.
But even more than that, balance is a necessary function for any age. Take, for example, ballet dancers. Children are taught at a very early age the importance of stretching for better posture.
In fact, for ballet enthusiasts and gymnasts, it is not simply a case of good posture, but rather, excellent posture. To do anything less would open oneself to injury while completing their assigned routines.
#6 Improve Digestion with Proper Posture
You might wonder what posture has to do with digesting your food. But, it does have a direct relationship especially when you don’t sit up properly after having eaten a big meal.
- Acid reflex is worse when lying down, and certainly slouching on the couch is the perfect situation to get a bout of heartburn. With the body all twisted, it forces pressure onto the abdominal area. This in turn causes the stomach juices, as well the newly eaten food to come back up instead of continuing on its proper journey.
- Hunching over also causes a slowdown in the process which can result in feeling bloated, and even lead to more serious digestive disorders.
- Sitting properly allows the body to better absorb nutrients, and then remove toxins.
- Weight is managed more efficiently, and for those trying to lose a few pounds, the task will be much easier, and results more visible.
Stretching to increase strength in the core muscles, as well as stretching for better posture so that the spine is upright, are both extremely valuable goals for efficient digestive processes.
#7 Proper Posture Prevents Constipation
For some reason, people that live in the Western world have more difficulties with having a bowel movement because of the way the toilets are placed. Sitting high up with the feet on the floor causes the knees to rest below the hips.
The position that is better for an easier and less strained bowel movement is having the knees higher up. There are many commercials now that promote stools for one’s feet when having a bowel movement.
Again, if you can keep things moving systematically, you do feel better.
#8 Proper Posture Prevents Incontinence
Women have long used exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor. But one thing a lot of individuals probably don’t know is that the diaphragm is an important component in activating the pelvic muscles in order to control the bladder.
When we sit in a scrunched position, the diaphragm is forced into an unnatural angle, which means there is less control over the bladder, and urinary leaks are possible.
#9 Sitting Straight Avoids Needless Injury
As we’ve mentioned above, stretching for better posture helps to stabilize the body. The body should sit center over our feet, and if it is tilted to one side or the other, from bad posture habits, there is a greater risk of falling and hurting something.
We actually become unstable on our feet. And, we don’t have to fall to hurt ourselves. We might brace our fall and bang our hands or hand on an inanimate object, which can be painful.
#10 Good Posture for Enhanced Breathing
In addition to the importance of the diaphragm to combat bladder leaks, it also has the crucial function of helping with deep breathing.
If we can breathe in and out in a strong fashion, we can force old air out of the lungs and replace it with fresh oxygen which is better for all the body’s functions.
Again, the specific placement of the diaphragm is dependant on how we walk and sit.
#11 Stretching Over Risks of Exercise
While stretching can be considered a form of exercise and is definitely an activity, it is much safer than strenuous exercise.
The problem with exercises is that most people don’t do them properly and then cause all kinds of problems such as joint issues, chronic pain, and demotivation. It’s quite disheartening to be told to get moving and yet, feel nothing but agony from the ordeal.
But with stretching for better posture, the activity will augment the body’s natural rhythm so the blood flows and each component of the body is happy and healthy.
#12 Repair Not Impair
It shouldn’t have to hurt to exercise the body. Pain is not gain. Simple stretching can and does help the whole mechanism, and a few daily stretches will make all the difference in one’s mental health and physical well-being.
Final Thoughts on Stretching for Better Posture
Stretching for better posture is fundamental to excellent spine health. It reduces back pain, encourages improved blood flow, and supports vital muscles, tendons and ligaments crucial for true mobility.
