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You may think keeping a proper posture only helps you prevent back or neck pain. But our posture impacts our wellbeing far more than we think. So when our parents scolded us stand straight or sit up, they were really helping us in a lot of ways, but we didn’t care to know why.

What is proper or good posture anyway? Basically, posture refers to the body’s positioning and alignment with respect to gravity. Whenever you sit or stand, gravity is always exerting a force on your muscles, joints, and ligaments. Good posture is all about distributing the force through all parts of the body so no one structure is overstressed.

There are lots of health benefits you stand to gain when you put in the effort to keep a proper posture. This article will explain them briefly to you.

Surprising Health Benefits of Proper Posture

1. It lowers your stress level – Studies conducted at Harvard University found that people with more powerful postures have a 25% decrease in cortisol levels and a 20% increase in testosterone levels. On the other hand, people that slouched in their seats showed a 15% increase in cortisol levels and a 10% decrease in testosterone level.

The result of this study shows that bad posture can lead to high levels of stress. Not only that, but improper posture can also affect your breathing pattern and cause your heart to strain.

But when you keep proper posture, your heart pumps blood optimally and your stress level is reduced drastically.

2. It boosts your productivity at work – Just by fixing how you sit, you can get more motivation and power through your workday. Your body will always send signals to your brain that you are in the right stance for power.

More so, a proper sitting posture helps to improve your breathing, which in turn allows more oxygen to your brain, thereby improving concentration.

It helps to boost self-esteem:  Studies have shown that when you sit in an upright posture, it helps to boost your confidence and increase your self-esteem.

Just take a look at a photo of you slouching and compare it with a photo of yourself standing straight, you will notice the difference in the way you feel about yourself.

3. It helps you feel more powerful – Have you ever noticed people who are sitting up straight? How do you feel about them? You tend to see them as being very powerful. It gives you a feeling of control and your decision-making potential is boosted.

4. It keeps your body system working optimally – One of the benefits of yoga is that it encourages good posture to prevent your intestine from being obstructed. This helps to keep your bowel movement in good form. However, when you slouch, what you may not know is that your intestine also gets squashed.

So, one of the secrets to preventing uncomfortable constipation is to keep good posture. Maybe you just need to adjust your sitting pattern to enjoy better digestive health.

You can get more support to keep a proper posture at our Chiropractic office, Elizabeth City, NC. Consult Dr. Jason Jones today, and get corrective Chiropractic care for proper posture. Your health will thank you in return.