How Posture Can Improve Your Life

No matter how much time you spend training, exercising, or being active, there are always more hours  left in the day. Although the amount of time that we dedicate to exercise is very important, we may want to look deeper into how we are spending our remaining hours. Lets take a closer look at an average person that exercises 3 times a week.

Total hours of exercise in a week: 3
Total hours in a week: 168
Total hours not spent exercising in a week: 165

In this example we are spending less than 2% of our time exercising. Yes, I know, a lot of these hours are spent sleeping but I would argue that most of us don't spend enough time there either (as I write this at 1:00am in the morning).

To keep it simple, we are spending 165 hours a week in either a good position, or a bad position. Overtime, the way we hold ourselves throughout the day has a greater impact on our minds and bodies than the 3 hours spent on exercise. Poor posture results in altered body mechanics, decreased blood flow, increased stress levels, increased feelings of depression, and decreased energy levels. Poor posture affects how others feel about us, and more importantly, it affects how we feel about ourselves. All of this results from just walking or sitting in a slouched position!

In a study where scientists studied participants in "high-power" postures vs. "low-power" postures the "high-power" participants experienced a 20% increase in testosterone (power hormone) and a 25% decrease in cortisol (stress hormone). The "low-power" participants on the other hand experienced a 10% loss in testosterone and a 15% increase in cortisol. Oh, and by the way, these chemical changes took effect after only 2 minutes.  What does all this mean? Holding ourselves in a good position makes us happier, more confident, less stressed, and less likely to experience negative health effects including stress related health issues and injuries.

The bottom line: be aware of your posture and body position in day-to-day life and you will notice dramatic changes in how you feel, move, and ultimately perform. The body is powerful...use it to your advantage!

If you are interested you can learn more from the links below:

http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/10/16/poor-posture-can-affect-mood-energy/46112.html

http://www.prevention.com/health/healthy-living/how-bad-posture-affects-your-health-and-happiness/7-

http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/How-posture-influences-mood-energy-thoughts-4784543.php

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are#t-29585