We have all been told numerous times to “stand up straight.” But why does that matter? Any physical therapist could go on and on about why posture is important. In this post I am going to break down the impact that posture has on your breathing.

As you’re reading this, I want you to slouch down and take a big breath in. Not a lot of air, right? Now sit up tall and take another big breath. You should have felt a significant difference in the amount of air you were able to take in.

When we slouch, we are compressing our internal organs and are making it harder for them to function properly. Breathing with proper posture can help your lungs to fully expand, which ensures that our brain and heart are working to the best of their ability.

Breathing and posture exercises are beneficial for everyone! You, me, your grandmother, and even elite athletes. If you need help improving your posture give us a call or stop in! Your physical therapist will be able to design a safe and effective exercise program to enhance your posture.

DID YOU KNOW?

When you stand with good posture, your head weighs 8-10 pounds on your neck. Once you flex to 30 degrees (think: reading position), you increase that weight to 60 pounds. That means your neck muscles have to hold up a head that weighs up to 6x more!”