It Does Wonders
/Have you ever found that standing up straight makes you feel better? My Mum used to tell me this and when I was younger I would dismiss it but now science shows it does. You were right Mum! Sorry I doubted you!
Research by Dr Elizabeth Broadbent at the University of Auckland showed a relationship between mood and good posture. It shows that one can increase resilience, make you feel more confident and after a success help you to feel more proud. It also suggests that you can feel less fearful, have higher self esteem after a stressful situation and feel more alert and enthusiastic. (1)
Broadbent also did research on people with depression and found that those who held themselves with good posture reduced their fatigue and had increased enthusiasm. They also performed better at stressful tasks. (2)
Having poor posture doesn’t mean you will have pain but it most likely will contribute to trigger point or knot formation in your muscles. These are more likely to be painful when you carry yourself with poor posture.
When you have poor posture, your joints aren’t moving correctly which can cause the joint to break down and eventually lead to arthritis. (3) So, having good posture does wonders for us by improving our mood and confidence and reducing the likelihood of developing arthritis. Chiropractors perform spinal manipulation as part of treatment which has been proven to be safe and effective for back pain (4) and it is much easier to stand up straight when you aren’t in pain.
1. Nair S et al. Do Slumped and Upright Postures Affect Stress Responses? A Randomized Trial. Health Psychol. 2015 Jun;34(6):632-41
2. Wilkes C et al. Upright Posture Improves Affect and Fatigue in People with Depressive Symptoms. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2017 Mar;54:143-149
3. Swiss Medical Journal, 19 July 2012, doi:10.4414/smw.2012.13583
