As I was growing up, I remember my father repeatedly tweaking the area between my shoulder blades with his fingers as he yelled, “Stand up straight.” At the time, it seemed like a mild annoyance, but I guess “Father knew best.” It isn’t just how you look, however, but how you position your body as you move throughout your life that counts!
Dr. George Salem, a National Institute of Health (NIH) funded researcher at the University of Southern California, studies how movement affects health and quality of life. He stated in the Florida Weekly (week of February 1-7, 2018) “It’s important to consider both static and dynamic components of posture.” Static posture refers to when you are sitting, standing, or sleeping. “Dynamic posture is how you position your body while you’re moving, like walking or bending over to pick up something,” the doctor continues. He added that it is important to consider both components of posture.
Your age, general health (physical and mental), and daily choices in life can certainly affect your posture. It is critical to be aware of the fact that your posture involves your musculoskeletal system. This includes your muscles, bones, joints, and other tissues that connect your body parts. They provide form, stability, support, and movement to your body. This system must adapt throughout your life to the type of work you do, your hobbies, injuries, and even the kind of shoes you choose to wear. Salem said, “Years of slouching wears away at your spine to make it more fragile and prone to neck, shoulder, and back pain. In any three month period, about one in four adults in the United States has at least one day of back pain.” Poor posture can decrease flexibility and affect how well your joints move and your all-important balance. This can lead to a decrease of independence and an increase in falls. A NIH physical therapist, Dr. Chris Zampieri, links posture to mental health, as well.
“Someone with depression may appear more closed in, curved and tend to look down. When people feel anxious, they may raise their shoulders,” said Zampieri.
Scientists are now researching even the possible connection between posture and how we process information in our brains as we think, as in oxygen consumption.
The foundation of good posture is having a body that can support it. It is then of the utmost importance that seniors maintain good posture, strength, balance, and flexibility.
Zampieri added, “Older adults tend to adopt a progressively hunched posture.” This can lead to excessive loading and injury on the shoulder joint. About two years ago at an annual physical, I was told by my nurse practitioner “Did you know that you have hyperkyphosis, Joan?” Until that moment in time, I had never heard the medical word, much less knew what it meant. This sometimes extreme outward arching of the back can develop in upwards of two-thirds of senior women and half of senior men. Hyperkyphosis is often the result of a serious fall/broken vertebrae and its resulting arthritis or the presence of osteoporosis (all three in my case) which can lead to a deterioration of the spine. Can the malady be corrected? With close monitoring of posture, I would say it can be limited in its adverse affects on back weakness and future possible breathing problems. I attempt to accomplish stronger abdominal and back muscles, higher lung functioning, and weight control through my daily one hour swims or speed walks. My intermittent yoga classes help with flexibility and posture. Indeed, a six-month yoga program showed a significant improvement in less rounded shoulders amongst one study of older adults with hyperkyphosis.
Sun Citians: Use supportive chairs for good posture and switch sitting positions often while in front of your computer. Add brief walks and gently stretch your muscles during sitting breaks. Be mindful of being kinder to your back; use your knees in removing items from the floor. Two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese; if you are one of them, lose that weight especially around the waist. Talk to your health care providers about the correct types of physical activity to help you maintain a healthy mobility and avoid unnecessary pain.
