The Importance of Good Posture

I don’t know about you, but I find myself reminding my teens to sit up straight more often than I’d like. When they were young, they had great posture. But somewhere in the teen years, some kind of “slouch” hormone must have kicked in. Now I need to poke them in the ribs or give them a verbal reminder when I see them slump.

I learned a few years ago how valuable good posture is. My back and neck were injured 20+ years ago when I was in a car accident. I suffered from back and neck pain daily for 20 years until I discovered a program of exercises (more on that in a bit) that corrected my muscle imbalances and fixed my posture. Since completing that program, my posture has improved immensely and my back and neck pain have disappeared. I’ve made it a habit to sit and stand up straight daily and I feel great!

Through research, I have discovered that there are many benefits to having good posture. Some are related to physical health and some to mental well-being. Some even tie into academic success. I’m going to share with you some of those reasons why sitting up straight is a good habit for you and your children to have, but first, let me get a few legal disclaimers and disclosures out of the way to satisfy the lawyers.

Note #1: I am not a medical professional. You may want to consult one before making changes to your regular physical routine.

Note #2: This post contains paid links which help support this site. Thank you.

Okay…on with the post.

*This post contains paid links. I earn a small commission from the sale of products purchased via these links. Please see my disclosure for details.

Why Good Posture is Important

Good posture improves your breathing. Sitting and standing up straight makes it easier for you to breathe properly. Good breathing is important for good health.

It helps you to concentrate and think more clearly. Since good posture improves breathing, the oxygen flow to the brain is increased. More oxygen in the brain means more thinking power and easier learning.

Good posture leads to an increase in energy levels. I don’t know about you, but slouching makes me feel more tired. Since I’ve developed good posture, I have more energy. I discovered why that is true in this article. Apparently, slouching makes your muscles work harder which makes you feel more tired. Sitting up straight is a more efficient way of using your core muscles.

It makes it easier to write neatly. According to Jennifer Hallissy, occupational therapist and author of The Write Start, having good control of your posture frees up your hands to function more effectively thus improving handwriting.

It makes you feel better about yourself. You have more self-confidence and better self-esteem when you stand tall. You also appear more self-assured to others.

So you may want to encourage your children to sit up straight. I think you’ll find that it helps them to become more confident, healthy learners.

By the way, if you are interested in the program which I used that relieved my back and neck pain, it’s called the Lose the Back Pain System and it was developed by a team of specialists at The Healthy Back Institute. You can learn more about it here.

Have a healthy year. 🙂

Many blessings,