SmartPosture - Being Smart about Posture™
In less than a minute, better posture can make you look 5 years younger, 1-2 inches taller, and 10 pounds slimmer! Not to mention considerably more attractive.
Appearance
We have done a pilot study comparing before and after better posture photos of regular folks on the street. Then we showed the photos to regular folks of the opposite sex. Every single one of the judges rated the after photos as being much more attractive.
Everyone knows intuitively that poor posture = old age. It goes to natural selection and the desire to procreate. That image is ingrained in all of our minds. In addition, slump over and your belly’s muffin top grows while your height shrinks. So if you want to look old, short and fat, than definitely stick with poor posture.
On the other hand, if you want to instantly look younger, taller and thinner, you have only to read on and adopt a few easy techniques.
Clearly, better posture has been linked to feeling more confident. Confidence is having a belief or trust that things will be successful or will work out well. In a medical research study involving over 95,000 women, those with positive future expectations had a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and death (see below). Similarly, when you have great posture, opportunities knock on your door; you have more friends, more mating opportunities, even better employment.
Health
Pain reduction – It’s well known that chronically poor posture is frequently associated with pain in the areas noted below. It is also true that improving posture in various ways can reduce pain and stiffness in these areas.
1) Low back
2) Neck
3) Shoulders
4) Hips
5) Knees
6) Feet
Please consider that there are entire fields of study within the medical profession (sports medicine, occupational medicine, ergonomics) that all recommend optimal body posture. Need we say more?
Fatigue
Poor posture is nearly always associated with an abnormal balance between various body parts. The body is always trying to maintain balance (homeostasis) so in its futile effort to balance chronically poor posture the body gets fatigued. Everyone knows it is more tiring to stand still when leaning forward/bent over than it is to stand up straight! When your body is fighting bad posture all day long it’s easy to understand how that can contribute to fatigue and tiredness.
Injury risk
It’s also well known in the practice of medicine that excess and abnormal pressure on joints, cartilage, muscle and tendons can increase the chance of injury. Bad posture is simply a mild form of excess and abnormal stress and pressure, that over time can have serious results like ruptured spinal discs, bursitis, severe pain and nerve damage.
Aging
Chronic over use of joints can increase the risk of arthritis. Poor posture can certainly cause chronic over use of joints.
Breathing / Circulation / Nerve function
It is perhaps very obvious, even to the casual observer, that being hunched and bent over can make it more difficult for one to breath. It has been shown that patients with thoracic kyphosis (being hunched over) have diminished pulmonary function. Likewise, both circulation and nerve function require optimal posture for optimal function. Many nerve based pain problems of the neck, shoulders and back are related to poor posture (for example: sitting for long hours at the computer in a chair with harmful support).
Which is not to say proper posture is the be-all-end-all of good health. Proper nutrition, exercise and regular visits to a health professional are clearly also recommended. Just don’t forget that one of the best ways to look younger and more attractive, feel better and be healthier is also one of the easiest and most affordable, better posture!
SmartPosture - Being Smart about Posture™
We have done a pilot study comparing before and after better posture photos of regular folks on the street. Then we showed the photos to regular folks of the opposite sex. Every single one of the judges rated the after photos as being much more attractive.
Everyone knows intuitively that poor posture = old age. It goes to natural selection and the desire to procreate. That image is ingrained in all of our minds. In addition, slump over and your belly’s muffin top grows while your height shrinks. So if you want to look old, short and fat, than definitely stick with poor posture.
On the other hand, if you want to instantly look younger, taller and thinner, you have only to read on and adopt a few easy techniques.
Clearly, better posture has been linked to feeling more confident. Confidence is having a belief or trust that things will be successful or will work out well. In a medical research study involving over 95,000 women, those with positive future expectations had a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and death (see below). Similarly, when you have great posture, opportunities knock on your door; you have more friends, more mating opportunities, even better employment.
Pain reduction – It’s well known that chronically poor posture is frequently associated with pain in the areas noted below. It is also true that improving posture in various ways can reduce pain and stiffness in these areas.
1) Low back
2) Neck
3) Shoulders
4) Hips
5) Knees
6) Feet
Please consider that there are entire fields of study within the medical profession (sports medicine, occupational medicine, ergonomics) that all recommend optimal body posture. Need we say more?
Fatigue
Injury risk
It’s also well known in the practice of medicine that excess and abnormal pressure on joints, cartilage, muscle and tendons can increase the chance of injury. Bad posture is simply a mild form of excess and abnormal stress and pressure, that over time can have serious results like ruptured spinal discs, bursitis, severe pain and nerve damage.
Aging
Chronic over use of joints can increase the risk of arthritis. Poor posture can certainly cause chronic over use of joints.
Breathing / Circulation / Nerve function
It is perhaps very obvious, even to the casual observer, that being hunched and bent over can make it more difficult for one to breath. It has been shown that patients with thoracic kyphosis (being hunched over) have diminished pulmonary function. Likewise, both circulation and nerve function require optimal posture for optimal function. Many nerve based pain problems of the neck, shoulders and back are related to poor posture (for example: sitting for long hours at the computer in a chair with harmful support).
Which is not to say proper posture is the be-all-end-all of good health. Proper nutrition, exercise and regular visits to a health professional are clearly also recommended. Just don’t forget that one of the best ways to look younger and more attractive, feel better and be healthier is also one of the easiest and most affordable, better posture!
SmartPosture - Being Smart about Posture™
