What Bad Posture Actually Does To Your Body


We’ve heard countless times that good posture and ergonomics are necessary when you’re working at a computer, but what exactly happens when you don’t follow those tips? The Wall Street Journal found out.

Picture: Charles Hutchins/Flickr

As it turns out, a lot changes. It’s not just in your body, it’s also psychological:

It’s not as though slouching will give you a hunchback in a day, but “if you do this day after day, and your muscles are not strong, the whole skeleton changes,” Dr. Golubic says. “I’m not aware of any studies that look at the changes in the volume of organs like the liver and spleen when you sit straight or slump forward. But we do know that when you slouch, you project an attitude of depression and low motivation.” When you sit up straight, he adds, “psychologically, your attitude is better.”

Thankfully, improving your posture is pretty easy. You can test your posture against a wall, and ergonomically optimising your workspace will help as well. For its part, the Wall Street Journal also recommends keeping an eye out for lower back pain as an indicator for poor posture, and considering something like yoga to improve your sitting position.

Burning Question: Why Sit Up Straight? [Wall Street Journal]


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