Good posture is key to your overall wellbeing. According to Dr Thomas Paloschi, MD, a longevity medical doctor specialising in preventative age management and functional medicine, your posture is ageing you more than you think. Moreover, it is not just changing how you look; it may be changing how you breathe, move, and carry tension.
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In a March 26 Instagram post, Dr Thomas stressed that posture should not be seen as vanity. Rather, it is linked to our biomechanics, breathing, muscle function, nervous system tone, and how our body carries us through life. However, he pointed out that the goal should not be perfect posture. It should be a body that can support itself better, move better, and breathe better.
Your posture may affect your mood under stress
According to Dr Thomas, a study showed that sitting upright during a stressful task helped maintain self-esteem, improve mood, and reduce self-focus compared with a slumped posture. He added, “Posture is not just appearance. It changes: how your head loads your neck, how your muscles have to work, how efficiently you breathe, and how well your body tolerates sitting.”
“One study found that posture may affect the thoughts you access. Participants found it easier to generate and recall positive thoughts when sitting upright. In that study, 92 percent said positive thoughts were easiest to access in the upright position,” Dr Thomas further stated.
Moreover, forward head posture has been associated with: neck pain, disability, strain on the cervical spine, headaches in some people, less efficient breathing mechanics, more fatigue and stress when the posture becomes collapsed and static, and can affect mood and confidence.
How to improve your posture
Per Dr Thomas, a forward head, a collapsed chest, and hours in the same position do more than create tension. “They can alter mechanics, reduce movement variability, and make the body work harder than it should,” he noted.
Highlighting the benefits of good posture, he stated, “A forward head position can change chest mechanics, respiratory muscle behaviour, and breathing efficiency.” This is why he stressed that sitting up straight is not enough. So, how can you fix your posture?
Per Dr Thomas, you do not do it by forcing one stiff position. You improve it by:
- mobility
- breathing mechanics
- break frequency
- break up sitting time
- move often
- strengthen postural muscles
What actually helps?
Dr Thomas suggested certain movements to start the process of fixing your posture:
- Raise your phone to eye level
- Break up sitting every 30-60 minutes
- Walk more during the day
- Strengthen the upper back and deep neck flexors
- Stop collapsing into the same shape all day
- Exercise-based approaches can improve measures of forward head posture.
4 simple drills to improve posture mechanics, as suggested by Dr Thomas:
- Chin tuck: Trains the deep neck muscles.
- Doorway pec stretch: Opens the chest.
- Wall angels: Improves upper back and shoulder control.
- Cat-cow: Restores spinal movement
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
