Our everyday life, our culture and even our mood affect our posture. Sometimes we consciously make ourselves tall, other times we sit hunched over. You see, your posture is a dynamic concept. It can change and is susceptible to outside factors. So it depends more on what position you are in most of the day. The duration of a particular posture can affect your health. But what does correct posture look like now?
Upright vs. slack Posture
Your body can consciously and unconsciously hold itself upright against gravity. You owe this to your muscle strength and body statics. You can either stand upright or adopt a slack posture.
An upright posture requires muscle tension. Your pelvis is straightened. To do this, come out of the hollow back position and pull your pubic bone slightly toward your belly button. The abdominal and gluteal muscles are tense. The back is straight. Your shoulders are pulled back and your chest is open. In short: stomach in, chest out! With the muscle strength you relieve your bones, ligaments and intervertebral discs. You can also breathe freely and there is no pressure on the internal organs.
With a limp or passive posture, you "drop" into the ligaments. Your pelvis tilts forward. To compensate, your torso leans backward. You get into a hollow back position. Your shoulders drop forward and your abdomen loses tension. Your back becomes round. The passive posture is the more comfortable option, but it doesn't look good and it puts the strain back on your ligaments and discs.
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