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The Power Of Posture
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Ask anyone.... medical specialists, chiropractors, physical therapists,
even your mother..... they all agree that "posture" is important. And
the longer you live, the more important good posture becomes. The
presence of long-term postural problems nearly always results in chronic
pain, disability, and diminished quality of life.
Consider for a moment what a "marvel" upright posture is! Imagine
designing a machine that stands several feet tall, weighs one or two
hundred pounds, sits on two movable stilts and maintains flawless
balance while resting on two tiny platforms only a few square inches in
size!
Now add a large crane (the spine) above the stilts that enables the
machine to bend, twist, lift, dance, etc. and two more cranes (arms)
near the top of the structure to be used to reach and carry objects. And
remember, while all these activities are going on, the machine remains
perfectly balanced on an area just a few square inches in size.
Our most brilliant minds have yet to conceive of a way to replicate the
marvel that is "upright human posture", yet it is something that most of
us take for granted every day.
Interestingly, when our body is in balanced natural posture it literally
"sits on itself". In this state the muscles of the body are mostly
resting, the joints (while carrying their share of the weight of the
body) are not stressed, and the energy consumed by the body to maintain
this natural balance is quiet low.
Only when the body leaves a state of balance do the muscles begin to be
activated, the joints begin to be stressed, and the body demands more
energy to maintain upright posture. The further a body departs from
balanced posture, the more stress there is on the joints, the harder the
joints work to maintain upright posture, and the energy required to stay
erect skyrockets.
A person whose posture is correct is not only more functional, stronger
mechanically, and more coordinated, but they have much more vitality
with which to live life because they are using much less energy just
remaining upright! Truly, the "power of good posture" works to the
advantage of those who have it. They can dance, lift their
grandchildren, enjoy a brisk walk, and "get with life" in general.
It is never too late to work on your posture, and the investment will
produce great dividends!
Dr. Wayne Bennett is a Board-Certified
Chiropractic Orthopedist at the Bennett
Clinic, Prescott/Prescott Valley AZ