It can be tough to tell if you have a suitable posture and spine alignment, especially if you spend most of your day sitting down at an office job. However, awareness of your posture is necessary for pain relief and to prevent further back problems from occurring. To reap the following benefits of proper posture, make sure to sit up straight and have adequate support for your back and neck throughout your day.

How Great Posture Benefits Your Health

1. Aligns Your Spine

Correct posture provides pain relief to your spine. Sitting down without proper support for your back and shoulders can strain your muscles, restrict blood flow, and stress your joints. Over an extended period, muscle tightness, weakness, and imbalances happen. This can lead to injuries due to an area of the body that has to overwork to accomplish a simple task. Improving your posture can prevent or even reverse most of these conditions, and improve your quality of life. 

2. Helps Improve Breathing

Deeper breathing is more comfortable when you sit up straight because your lungs aren’t constricted by the weight of your back and bending of the spine. Restricting the rib cage and compressing the diaphragm reduces lung capacity, which leads to labored and shallow breathing. Poor breathing can lead to feelings on anxiety, make you more tired, and affect productivity. 

3. Aids in Better Digestion

Proper posture provides pain relief for stomach discomfort and acid reflux. This is because slouching after eating can cause food to move back up and out of your stomach to the esophagus. Try not to lean, lay down, or bend for at least two to three hours after a meal to reduce the risk of heartburn.

4. Improves Blood Circulation 

Your body needs a constant flow of blood circulation, and sitting incorrectly can restrict your veins and your heart’s ability to push blood upwards into the capillaries. Proper circulation can help with fatigue, and make physical activity easier, as exercise causes less stress to the body. It also helps to improve the function of all internal organs. 

If bad posture is causing you to have pain, massage therapy and physical therapy may help with pain relief. Contact the professionals at Hands-On Health Massage & Physical Therapy in High Point, NC. They provide an extensive range of services, including postural realignment and traditional massage. To learn more about the benefits of adding a regular massage routine to your schedule, visit them online. Call today at (336) 906-2040 to schedule an appointment.