Do you have good posture? It can be tough to tell sometimes, especially if you spend most of your workday sitting down. However, posture awareness is crucial, both for pain relief as well as to prevent further issues from occurring. If you’re unsure whether your posture is correct, the following information can help.

Good Posture

Good posture is essential whether sitting or standing. It’s defined as holding your body in a way that inflicts the least amount of strain on joints and muscles. As an example, when sitting, your back and shoulders should be straight, body weight should be evenly distributed across both hips, and feet should be flat on the floor. Good posture offers a number of benefits, such as ensuring that bones and joints are in proper alignment, preventing muscles from becoming fatigued, decreasing stress, and providing pain relief.   

Bad Posture

Bad posture is characterized by slouching or slumping. Not only is it unattractive, but it can also cause numerous health issues when not corrected. For instance, poor posture is associated with headaches, fatigue, negative moods, problems with circulation, and even sexual dysfunction. This stems from “sacral sitting,” which is when the lower back is in a rounded position along with shoulders. This is thought to weaken pelvic floor muscles, which inhibits sexual function in both sexes.

Why Postural Awareness Is Important

Now that you know the difference between good and bad posture, it’s time to do something about it. Postural awareness is key in this case, as it can help you correct ongoing body positioning issues while also providing pain relief. This can be tough at first, as many posture issues have developed over a number of years.

To change your habits, you must constantly check your position and make adjustments. During the day, think about how you’re sitting, whether your shoulders are slumped, whether your jaw is clenched, if your arms are in a comfortable position, and so on. From there, make the proper changes to correct position and increase comfort.

If you need a postural realignment in High Point, NC, Hands-On Health Massage & Physical Therapy is here to assist you. Using a combination of stretches and exercises, these therapists will help you improve your posture and provide information on how to keep it that way. Other services include physical therapy, which offers pain relief and increased mobility as well as massage therapy for stress reduction. You can visit them online for a complete listing of the locally owned clinic’s services and rates. If you’d like to schedule a consultation, feel free to call (336) 906-2040 today.