Most modern jobs require that people spend long hours sitting in front of a desk, but this posture can actually have some negative effects on your back, along with a number of other negative effects that you might have considered before. Complications from sitting incorrectly can be felt not only in your body, but also in your mind, and can greatly impact your ability to function physically, mentally, and emotionally.
You will be surprised to know how the bad posture can effect your health and physical appearance.
1. Poor digestion
As unlikely as this might seem, the fact is that sitting all day can affect your digestive system in a negative way. When you remain in a seated position for a long period of time, your digestive organs become compressed and incapable of functioning at ideal levels. This dramatically slows down your digestive system causing discomfort, constipation, or delayed metabolic conversion.
These natural foods you can simply add to your water to improve digestion and reduce the affects of poor posture.
2. It increases your stress level
When your body is compressed, it affects your breathing, which in turn affects the nervous system. To compensate for this, your lungs and heart will have to work harder which ultimately causes stress in the body. Sitting upright with broad shoulders and an open chest, allows you to breathe easier and also increases hormonal levels, making you feel more empowered which further decreases stress.
Eating these foods combined with some simple exercises can help you to reduce your stress levels.
3. You develop a hunched look
This is when your back forms a C shape at the top of your spinal column. Your spine is supposed to be straight but becomes curved at this spot. Sitting for long hours (over a computer screen for instance) with a bad posture is the major cause of this distortion of posture.
Poor sitting posture causes the chest muscles to tighten leading to an excessively curved spine in the upper back or thoracic region. Under such circumstances, the muscles of the upper back will eventually loosen and get weaker. Here are some good exercises to prevent hunched shoulders.
4. Lumbago
This is simply a medical term for lower back pain. Lumbago is the most common consequence of poor posture and occurs due to muscle strain. The back muscles, ligaments & discs are put under extra stress when the spine is not in proper alignment, however, having strong muscles will help to keep the spine in proper alignment and prevent back pain.
Strong muscles also prevent the spine from extending beyond its normal range of motion, which is essential for protecting the ligaments and disks from injury. Do exercises that strengthen and stretch the muscles that support the spine and help to maintain a proper posture.
5. Fatigue
Ever wondered why you get home so tired after work when all you did was sit down at a particular spot throughout the day? Well here’s your answer, it might be because of your bad posture at work. Your tired and tight muscles can’t support the skeleton as well as they are meant to, and have to work extra hard just to hold you up, which drains your body of energy. Here you can find some great tips to fight fatigue.
Poor posture is very easy to develop and can affect your entire being in ways you’ve probably never even thought of. You should take note of these effects of poor posture, and work towards adjusting your posture as much as you can.
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