Posture, when looking at someone from the side, can really tell us a lot about our health and even our future health! There was a study performed in Japan, where they looked at 2193 individuals’ posture and related that to different health outcomes.
They measured first how close the back of their head was to the wall when they were standing. Researches then looked at overall health concerns when you have this “kyphotic” posture (i.e. slumping with your head forward of your shoulder).
What they found was interesting: lung function was affected, gastric-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), poor overall quality of life and increased risk of falls.
So, how do you prevent this & how do you correct it if you have it already? Glad you asked…Strengthen your back, neck, and core muscles; stretch your neck, traps and chest. There are 4 different sheets we have at the front desk for your to pick-up at any time to help guide you through this (Neck extension stretches, Wall Exercises, Dead Bug/Superman Exercises and YTWL’s).
Bottom line? You have to DO something if you want something to change! Literally 3.5 minutes out of your day can make a massive difference in how you look, how you breathe, how your stomach functions and your overall quality of life as you age.
You can read the study here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8971797/