For the Health of It: Making the case for sitting up straight

Hima Dalal explains to Tyler Ryan the impacts of bad posture, and how to fix it

COLUMBIA SC (WOLO)–More and more, we find ourselves looking down, with our shoulders curved forward, looking at a phone, or keyboard.  The long term impacts have have short term ramifications to overall health.  The good news is that a lot of the damage we do can be reversed.

Vital Energy’s Hima Dalal says that bad posture can lead to multiple health problems.  Slouching puts undue pressure on your spine and joints causing pinched nerves, decreased blood flow, wear and tear on your joints, and increased pressure on your diaphragm, all causing depletion in your oxygen intake and may cause lung deficiency.

Poor posture puts you at higher risk of injury and falls too. Is everyone born with good posture? Is it inherited? Your muscle tone and childhood habits create your “norm” and your proportion of body weight and size also dictates your posture. Occupational and Physical therapists are trained to evaluate and help you gain correct posture and muscle strength.

Correcting posture is difficult, but according to Dalal,  Occupational and Physical therapy can aid in the process of correcting posture by strengthening the muscles that cause poor posture
to begin with.  They also help you increase flexibility in muscles by teaching you correct stretching and how to reduce strain on your spine.

Most important is neuromuscular reeducation. Muscle memory is very powerful and you will keep going back to to your “norm’ – or comfort zone.  Your therapist knows
how to guide you in reducing muscle memory and accept your new center of line.  They may use MFR, manual mobilization, and functional meditation techniques to
retrain your brain and muscles to help you enjoy life at the fullest allowing play, work and having fun.