20 NOV 2018: You know the story about the princess with the world at her feet, yet all she wants is a good night’s sleep. And no matter how many mattresses or soft surfaces were piled one on top of the other, restful sleep eluded her. Her mood and lifestyle were all completely out of whack, all because of one pesky little pea underneath. While it also sounds like the real life tale of my partner’s sleeping preferences, the point of this fairy tale is that one small and seemingly insignificant thing can completely disrupt your flow and quality of life.

Of course I’m not here to write to you about clearing peas from beneath your mattress, this is simply an analogy for the bigger picture. The figurative pea I’m talking about is more closely related to your electronics, and the elusive sleep would be more like your posture.

What I’m trying to say is, in our modern day reality we spend our lives hunched over everything. From mindlessly scrolling through our phones, to working on computers at our desks, even driving, we spend so much of our lives seated, and hovering over something in front of us. What we don’t realize is that this chronic poor posture is having far reaching negative effects on our quality of life.

Try something right now.

Sit in your chair with both feet planted on the ground, and push your tush to the back of your chair. Now pretend you have lights on your belt that you’re trying to point towards the ceiling. Next roll your shoulders back and release them from your ears. Pull your chin in towards your neck. Does this feel as unnatural as it sounds? Then you’ve probably nailed it.

Chronically stooped over like the Hunch-Back of Notre Dame without any corrective movements or stretches sets us up for, well, failure. It’s like trying to play a game of Jenga with the tiles slightly off balance right from the get-go. Sure, you can still play, but the game is doomed to collapse.

While you won’t literally fall apart like a Jenga tower, poor posture instead leaves you feeling stressed, tired, and unmotivated. Consistent headaches, back pain, gas or bloating? You guessed it, posture related. Studies have linked bad posture to poor digestion and even heart and lung conditions.

The 20 plus feet of intestines intricately folded in your abdomen don’t need to smushed together any more than they already are! Poor posture compresses everything including blood vessels and digestive organs, which prevent oxygen and blood from flowing freely. So as many times as you can possibly remember, tuck your hips underneath you to shine those belt lights upwards, and roll your shoulders back while tightening your abs to keep your posture straight.

But it’s really all in the neck.

The positioning of the neck is actually the most important. Have you ever noticed someone whose neck juts forward like a chicken? When your head is not sitting neatly on top, it strains your neck and upper back muscles more than we are designed to handle. This muscle strain radiates up into your scalp, which is the culprit of many common headaches. Slowly drop your head to bring your chin to your chest to release these overworked muscles and when upright, be mindful of bringing your chin back in towards your neck. In the long run, try to use your phone more directly in front of your face and use a laptop stand to raise your computer screen to keep your neck in a more neutral position.

Moody and unmotivated? Maybe it’s misalignment.

Studies have found that the more you are stooped the worse you feel overall. And when you’re not feeling energized and productive, you tend to stoop further in your own pity. And so it goes.

And, the opposite is also true.

Bringing the body back into proper stature was shown to energize and improve mental wellbeing. One of the easiest ways to make a positive impact on your life right now, and into the future is to work on your posture. Please, don’t overdo it and try to correct a hunch into a back bend – a balance between the two is most natural. In a balanced posture your muscles aren’t forced to support you in unnatural positions.

Studies have associated proper posture with improved concentration and productivity, proper breathing (which means less stress and more oxygen throughout your body) as well as less overall aches and muscle pains. Whether you’re sitting at your desk, on a long flight, or simply on the couch, take a moment to bring your attention to your posture and think about how it may be impacting your wellbeing.

Sorry, but Mom was right here folks, now sit up straight!