Don't Be a Slouch

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

20 Mar 2006 02:00 PM

Do you remember your mother telling you to sit up straight? Do you remember when she said for you to stop slouching? My mother was always after me and I had absolutely retched posture. You'd think years of dancing and working out would have made a difference, nope, I slouched like a 90-year-old woman with a bent spine.

Want to know how badly I slouched?

A year and a half ago, proper posture was added to my workout and I gained almost a quarter of an inch in height. I don't know whether to laugh or cry over that. But seriously, having been just a little over 5'5 and three quarters my whole life and having a nurse doing a general physical telling me I was suddenly 5'6 really messed with my head.

So maybe there is something to this standing up straight after all!

Poor posture is referred to as postural distortion syndrome and it's a leading cause of ill health. It affects more than just your height. How so? Well, your body is designed to function in a certain way, in balance and harmony with the rest of your body. Part of that balance comes from proper posture. When your posture is correct, your internal systems are not under stress or pressure from your skeletal and muscular frame.

Bad posture contributes to and in some cases worsens:

• Arthritis
• Back and Chest pain
• Digestive upset
• Headaches
• Joint Pain
• Menstrual Cramps
• Sciatica
• And much more . . .

So --- if you haven't listened to mom before now - sit up straight and don't slouch.

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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Nicole Allard (882) 20 Mar 2006 10:16 PM

Great article, Heather!

LeggsRobbins_fam (361) 13 Jul 2006 02:57 PM

I wonder if there are also psychological or mood-related issues relating to posture.