“Proper posture is a way of blending with gravity. Proper attitude is a way of blending with life.” ~ Dan Millman, Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior
In his book The Owner’s Guide to the Body, Roger Golten describes ‘average’ posture:” slouching, paunchiness, round shoulders, flat feet, backache, neck and shoulder tension are symptoms of ‘averageness’, and a structure in collapse.” If you think of your body as a structure with your feet as the foundation, your legs as the main weight-bearing frame work, etc., you can get a better idea how important your posture is. A building that loses its stability begins to shift, the walls show the stress through cracking, and in time becomes unihabitable. When it comes to a body out of structural balance, those complaints in the back, neck and shoulders might actually come from an earlier imbalance in the feet, legs or hips.
It’s easier to observe ‘poor’ posture in others because we are unlikely to be aware of our own habitual body positions. When you see someone bent over with severely rounded shoulders, or with one shoulder higher than the other, you are probably observing a condition that has developed over years. True, postural problems can be hereditary or disease related, but often they are habitual in nature.
If you can spot the factors that contribute to these postural imbalances you will know which areas need to be addressed and changed. Be aware of occupational influences such as how you sit at work, how you hold your body during recreational activities, or when you are walking. Other influences to consider include tight clothing, certain types of footwear, as well as furniture that doesn’t support your back.
Whatever postural problem may exist, it affects more of your body than you may realize. Since all of your soft tissue is interconnected (muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, etc.), a problem in one area can and probably will affect another.
The important thing to realize about postural problems is that over the years they can lessen your quality of life, and if ignored, are likely to worsen as you age.
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