Sit Up Straight
Beate June 20th, 2007
“Sit up straight!” – There, does that call up old memories of slouching in a chair when you were a kid and an adult telling you that? I know it does for me. I was thinking about that just the other day, after I had spent what felt like hours on the computer. I decided to take a break, because my muscles felt tense and my neck was stiff. That’s when I realized that I had been sitting all hunched in, with my head jutting forward. And I heard that voice from childhood saying, “sit up straight!”
It’s just too bad that, once we are adults, we usually don’t have someone reminding us to “sit up straight,” because good posture is so important. You’ve probably heard that old saying that correct posture can instantly make you look ten pounds lighter. Well, it’s true! And when you are sitting or standing straight your body language conveys confidence and a sense of self-esteem to others.
But your posture also affects your health, as well. Poor posture can actually create fatigue, because it causes muscles, ligaments and joints to work harder. Not to mention the strain on bones, joints and organs because of unnecessary pressure. For example, I’ve read that looking down at a 45-degree angle instead of holding your head upright uses five times more energy. And the strain on your muscles decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain by as much as 30 percent.
A good way to check out your posture is to stand with your back to a wall. If your shoulders, bottom, and back of your head are touching the wall, your posture is correct. If they’re not, move around so that they are, and check how that feels. Another quick way is to take a big deep breath in, being sure to expand and lift your chest up. When you do this, your head automatically will straighten up and move back, your shoulders will move down and back, giving you the correct posture.
So, the next time you are feeling muscle fatigue or strain, take a deep breath and “sit up straight”!
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