We talk a lot about posture in our office and there is a good reason! When everything is aligned well, it works better- more efficiently and with less wear and tear. Anyone who has ever tried to stack stones knows how important it is to get them properly lined up to make it work.
There is an illustration we use in our workshops. When we ask a fit and healthy volunteer to hold a bowling ball close to their body, it is a lot easier for them to do than when it is held further in front of them. The class can see the increased effort it takes as they try and hold it farther out front. Well, the average head weighs around the same amount as the average bowling ball. When we have an anterior head carriage, this puts significantly more strain on the body. Why do we do this?
Text neck is one culprit, but this posture can also occur with sitting at computers or writing/drawing at a desk. It can also occur with stress physiology. When we are in a stressful situation, our body can react: our muscles tighten and our head juts forward to prepare for “fight or flight”. The stressful event may end, but our body doesn’t get the message and we continue in this posture, affecting our alignment and our nervous system.
Network Spinal Chiropractic helps you let go of the tension patterns that are holding your body in this position. If it has been a pattern over years, you may need to do exercises to strengthen the postural muscles that support you and stretch the muscles that may have shortened from extended periods of poor posture. Join us for the Posture Boot Camp to learn do the exercises together and see how you can work on your posture- it is never too late!!! And let’s face it, we are all going to look down at our phones from time to time. We all require some maintenance to stay in line!