What is the slow hunch you ask? And why should you care?
Well, I call the slow hunch the changes in your posture that you don’t notice until they’re set in…argh!
The problem then becomes having to work so much harder to get your posture back to where it should be for optimal body movement and performance.
Why is this important to know?
- POOR POSTURE REPOSITIONS YOUR MUSCLES AND JOINTS
· Postural changes lead to stress on your joints leaving them overloaded and then…you feel pain!
· If you don’t address these problems your pain can become chronic…this is when things can get complicated
Chronic pain actually changes your brain as well!
· Many different areas of the brain are activated when you are in pain
· Studies that compare acute and chronic pain show that chronic pain results in more widespread activation of the areas of the brain that are associated with the perception and production of pain
· And, when you have chronic pain, there is more activation of the parts of the brain that deal with emotional processing
· This may clarify why people can experience a variety of emotional changes with chronic pain
- HUNCHING FORWARD AND ROUNDED SHOULDERS LEADS TO SHALLOW BREATHING
· This can reduce the amount of oxygen you breathe in
· This results in a decrease in the amount of oxygen to your body and brain
· How can you expect to function at your best and make the best decisions if your brain is being starved of oxygen…the short answer is…you can’t!
Oxygen is essential for every cell in your body to function at optimal levels. Without oxygen, your muscles can become ischemic and are then unable to get rid of the waste that builds up, leading to a build-up of toxins in your body.
Other symptoms of poor oxygen delivery are:
· Brain fog
· Headaches
· Loss of focus
· Slow recovery from injury
· Poor recovery from exercise
…just to name a few!
- SITTING PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE
· There is a phrase that’s been thrown around the last few years…sitting is the new smoking. Excessive sitting can have a profound long term effect not just on your posture but on your overall health.
· Ask yourself…seriously how much of your day/life do you spend sitting?
· Sitting with poor posture places your spine into a C shaped curve. The natural curve of the spine is more of an S shaped curve. Without this S shape you may be compromising your optimal muscle length, joint loading and nerve mobility….all eventually leading to pain and dysfunction.
How can you address problems with posture?
There are a number ways to improve your posture:
· Get assessed by a professional to find out what your problems areas are
· Our bodies are not designed to be held in static positions for long periods of time (eg. Sitting at a desk, sitting on the couch or in the car).
So, the easy solution is to move!
It’s as simple as setting a timer to remind you to get up out of your chair every hour and walk or do some simple body movements
· Perform regular yoga or stretching
· Build body awareness – of your posture, any pain, tightness and stiffness
· Engage in a variety of exercise types that promote body strength and mobility in multiple directions. I love dancing because you move in all different directions
Basically, you’ll feel so much better if you do what you were designed for…
…to move your body!!