Your posture—how you hold your body—isn't just about physical appearance. When you slump in a chair or stand up straight, the body sends signals to your brain that can significantly impact your emotional state, confidence levels, and happiness. Studies show that by consciously improving your posture, you can trigger positive changes in your physical and mental well-being.
Mind to body, body to mind
The relationship between posture and attitude is a powerful example of the mind-body connection. Think about how you carry yourself when you're feeling confident and upbeat. You stand taller, with your shoulders back and head held high. Conversely, when feeling down or stressed, you might hunch over or slump in your chair. This isn't just a coincidence. Studies suggest a bidirectional link between posture and mood.
One study asked participants to recall memories. Some were told to sit slumped over, and others to sit straight. The results were startling: Nearly 90% of the slumped participants recalled negative events, while even more of the participants with straight posture recalled positive events.
Not just “think happy thoughts“
So, wow—the body directly affects the mind. And of course, the mind also affects the body. Sad feelings often lead to poor posture, and an upbeat attitude fosters better posture. Better posture has great health benefits, and might help aleviate:
Headache, back and neck pain
Knee, hip and foot pain
Shoulder pain and jaw pain
Fatigue and breathing problems
This isn’t about toxic positivity, which a group of Florida psychologists defined as "the excessive and ineffective overgeneralization of a happy, optimistic state across all situations [which] results in the denial, minimization, and invalidation of the authentic human emotional experience." There is nothing "wrong" with any of your moods — it’s best to feel them fully.
And willpower probably won’t be enough—you'll also need to add some strengthening exercises to help your body start to keep good posture effortlessly. Chiropractic djustments can align your spine, and massage therapy can release the bound fascia that is impeding your progress. We can also conduct a postural assessment for you that shows exactly where you need to improve alignment, strength, and flexibility. Adding things like walking, yoga, and tai chi to your life can also help improve posture.
The wall test
If you're curious how far off you are from proper standing posture, try this wall test from the Mayo Clinic:
Stand so that the back of your head, your shoulder blades and your bottom touches the wall, and your heels are two to four inches from the wall. Put a flat hand behind the small of your back. You should be able to just barely slide your hand between your lower back and the wall for a correct lower back curve.
If there's too much space behind your lower back, draw your belly button toward your spine. This flattens the curve in your back and gently brings your lower back closer to the wall. If there's too little space behind your lower back, arch your back just enough so that your hand can slide behind you.
Walk away from the wall while holding a proper posture. Then return to the wall to check whether you kept a correct posture.
It takes time, but it’s worth the effort
If it's difficult to do the wall test, or to maintain that posture, no need to get discouraged. Improving posture takes time. Just remember that thinking of something positive—a happy memory, things and people you're grateful for, or something you're looking forward to—can make an immediate improvement in your journey to standing taller and feeling better.
Come visit us at Parkside
Come see our expert team at Parkside Clinic where we tailor our care to your specific condition and tap into your body’s natural healing ability. Make an appointment, or if you have any questions, contact us.