The importance of proper posture cannot be stressed enough when doing any activity, whether it is lying down, sitting, standing, or walking. Postural muscles hold the body in normal functional positions and remain active throughout the day, making them work all day to keep the body erect. The components of correct posture involve a lengthened spine, even weight distribution between both sides of the body, and a balanced torso. A lot of muscles work as posture stabilizers without our conscious effort.
Recognizing ineffective body postures is easy when looking at other people, but people seldom realize that they are also guilty of practicing bad posture, especially when doing heavy activities such as lifting. Static postures also contribute to bad postures such as sitting at a desk for long periods of time, standing for several hours, and repetitive squatting. The muscles that are always used for these positions get tight over time, and the muscles opposite those become weak and lengthened. This leads to improper posture and a subconscious effort to retain the bad posture due to the resulting comfort. The muscle imbalance results in overwork of the tight muscles, leading to pain and injury over time, damaging joints and impinging nerves in the long run.
Poor posture is a chronic problem but can be addressed through exercises and enough practice. Retraining the body to perform daily activities using good posture takes time, especially when one is used to sitting, standing, walking, and bending over with poor form. Regaining muscle balance between the weak and tight muscles will be uncomfortable and painful at times but is worth it once the imbalance is corrected.
Achieving good posture will lead to a lot of benefits, and these include pain relief and greater movement efficiency through better recruitment of the right muscle groups for specific activities. The importance of addressing bad posture increases with age because it is more difficult to correct and will lead to far more problems with bodies that have less adaptability, unlike younger people.
