Sit, Stand and Walk Tall for Health!
Humans – from head to feet – are built to stand, sit and walk erect. Now that we have reviewed the way your breathing apparatus operates, you can readily understand how correct posture is essential to correct breathing. When you slump, you squeeze your lungs and other organs into a cramped position that seriously limits the operation of your diaphragm. You become a shallow breather, able to use only the top portion of your lungs.
When you sit bent over a desk, you rob your body of maximal oxygen intake, impair circulation, hamper the functions of your heart and vital organs and crowd your muscles and bones into unnatural positions. Then you wonder why you’re so fatigued! You probably also cross your legs, which further blocks circulation, and prepares the way for broken capillaries, varicose veins, backaches, headaches and a host of other problems.
It is likely that you maintain the same poor posture when on your feet – standing or walking with your shoulders and head drooping or neck upthrust. You cannot improve matters by suddenly going to the opposite extreme: distorting your body and all of its components by an exaggerated reversal (i.e., thrusting your shoulders back and sucking in your stomach). You will improve and maintain good posture by strengthening your muscles with the daily practice of correct posture habits. Start now – It works miracles!
