Healthy posture is essential for maintaining the ability to move, as well as preventing pain and inflammation. The following article analyzes the functions and tasks of good posture. It also looks at posture from a medical, psychological, and evolutionary perspective.
What is posture?
Healthy posture is essential for maintaining the ability to move, as well as preventing pain and inflammation. Posture describes the position of the human body in space. This is defined by the interaction of muscles, ligaments and bones. This means that the term generally refers to different positions (e.g., standing and sitting) that the human body can assume. In medicine, “posture” usually refers to the upright position of the human body. This depends on the condition of the spine, as well as the abdominal and back muscles. The terms “good” and “bad posture” are statements that judge this condition. In psychology, the term refers to unconscious communication through body language.
Function and task
The tasks and functions of upright posture can be seen particularly well by looking at evolution. When man learned to walk upright about 3-4 million years ago, he was offered completely new possibilities. He could now use his hands in many different ways. In addition, he could look at his environment from a different perspective. Since he could now look over bushes and grasses, he could detect predators early. This development was made possible by the evolution of the human spine. Over the millennia, this spine changed into the double S-shape, which it has retained until today. However, this shape also brings with it a decisive disadvantage: it is prone to injury and often leads to back problems. These are often caused by poor posture. Poor posture is understood to mean a posture that damages the spine and back. It usually leads to pain in the affected areas and restricts the ability to move. Consequently, the function of good posture is to maintain freedom of movement and prevent pain and inflammation. However, this does not only affect the spine. Muscles and ligaments are also affected and are necessary for a functional posture. In addition, good posture increases lung capacity, which optimizes bodily functions and prevents chronic fatigue. Psychologically, posture is mainly used for communication. However, this is mostly done subconsciously. Posture is an important part of body language, which accounts for much of the information we reveal about ourselves. In personal conversations, we usually get more information from the body language of our counterpart than from their words. For example, an open posture comes across as inviting and confident, while a closed posture is an indicator of insecurity. At this point, the medical and psychological meanings of posture meet. Healthy/good posture subconsciously communicates health and strength, while poor posture demonstrates vulnerability and weakness. Thus, good posture is important on several levels at once.
Diseases and ailments
Posture problems increase, especially as we age. Often, diseases of the spine (e.g. herniated disc, osteoporosis) are the reason. They can lead to fixed misalignments that cannot be compensated. This can result in both a below-average curvature (flat back) and an excessively pronounced curvature of the spine (hunchback or hollow back). Often, however, not only a disease of the spine is to blame for poor posture, but the opposite is the case: incorrect posture leads to back disease. This occurs, among other things, in adolescents, because in them the growth in length and muscle growth occur at different times, so that the spine is not sufficiently stabilized. Frequent sitting also shortens the hip and chest muscles. This leads to poor posture and bad posture, which can lead to tension, back pain and headaches. But these problems can arise not only in young people.In the long term, lack of exercise and prolonged sitting lead to more or less severe poor posture in every age group and are increasingly becoming a widespread disease. Regular exercise and ergonomic seating are recommended as a preventive measure. In addition, targeted strengthening of the abdominal and back muscles through appropriate training can be useful. In addition, it depends on how one sits. For example, it is much healthier for your back to sit upright than to “hang” in your chair. This is because an upright sitting posture relieves the strain on the intervertebral discs. A good posture is characterized by its symmetry. The weight is evenly distributed on both legs, so that no part of the body is overstressed. A possible – often forgotten – cause of poor posture is the fact that posture is also influenced by the feet. If there are problems with the feet, for example due to incorrect footwear, the entire posture can be affected. Shoes with high heels that are too tight offer a good example of this. They cause the foot muscles to atrophy and place an unfavorable strain on the musculoskeletal system. Targeted gymnastics helps by exercising the foot muscles. In addition, ergonomic footwear helps because it relieves pressure on the spine.
