How Does Bad Posture Affect Your Life?

Growing up, you were most likely often admonished, “Stand up straight!” Many rarely give this admonition a thought until they grow up and find themselves dealing with posture issues. Despite this phrase commonly being tossed around children and teens, many of them actually grow up with great posture and a perfect spinal curve. Only after starting on poor habits like inactivity and slouching does their posture begin to become an issue.

Poor posture leads to various complications, all of which can lower the quality of your life. One of the most common results of poor posture is back pain. Back pain is the leading cause of people missing work worldwide. Often, you can avoid back pain with just good posture habits. 

Effects of Poor Posture

Poor Energy Levels 

Zoom fatigue is a common issue affecting people working in offices or spending most of their time on digital devices. While it may be attributed to digital device use, it may also have a different cause: poor posture. Poor posture affects your natural energy levels negatively.

When you spend the day slumped over your computer, you are draining your energy reserves. It happens because your back and body muscles must work much harder to hold you up. The result is that you expend more energy, leading to more fatigue at the end of the day.

Lesser Confidence

Standing up straight is more than just a good move for your energy; it is also essential for your confidence. Standing up straight ensures your nervous system and brain communicate efficiently.

Better central nervous system (CNS) health can lead to increased feelings of well-being. When you feel good, you tend to be much more confident. Also, people who slouch have been found to have more depressive feelings and unhappiness. 

Incontinence

The CNS is not the only body function that poor posture affects. According to Harvard, poor posture encourages stress incontinence. Stress incontinence is a situation where a cough or laugh can lead to leaking a bit of urine. It happens because slouching leads to increased abdominal pressure impacting the bladder. 

Moreover, slouching also impacts the pelvic floor muscles that help hold normal abdominal pressure. All these combined lead to an increase in incontinence when you sneeze, laugh, or cough. It may also lead to a loss of confidence and increased self-consciousness.

Constipation

When you practice poor posture, it will go with you everywhere. One such place is the toilet. Poor posture in the bathroom can lead to constipation. According to experts, hunching over so that your knees are lower than your hips can close your anus. The result is your abdominal muscles experience significant resistance in moving feces out. 

Slowed Digestion and Heartburn

Slouching may also lead to acid reflux, resulting in heartburn, especially after meals. Again, slouching puts undue pressure on the abdominal area. The stress will affect the flow of stomach acid. Some studies have also shown that slouching slows down movement in the intestines. While the impact is not as much, it is still there.

For more on how bad posture affects your life, visit Chiropractic Nashville at our office in Nashville, Tennessee. Call (615) 205-1022 to book an appointment today.