Postural awareness is important because it has many benefits in maintaining
an optimal state of health. Proper posture is maintaining a neutral spine
by keeping your head over your pelvis. Think about a plumb line dropped
from the ceiling. If you stood next to it, this line would pass through
the center or just behind the ear, through the center of the shoulder
line up with your hip bone, the greater trochanter and the ankle bone
known as the malleolus.
Some major benefits of good posture include, but are not limited to, increased
energy flow through the body, improved oxygenation, reduction of pressures
on the intervertebral discs, and avoidance of myofascial trigger points
which can occur due to development of muscle imbalances as a result of
poor posture.
Lastly, some good advice if you are trying to correct your posture. Think
about the 10% rule. Make only about a 10 % change when trying to pull
your shoulders back and tuck your pelvis. If you do more than 10%, your
muscles, which are not used to the extra work, may ache and cause extra
pain. Correcting poor posture is a process that occurs gradually over
time. It is not uncommon for this process to take a few months. Please
consult your medical provider on how to stretch tight muscles that occur
as a result of chronic poor posture.