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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Can poor posture affect me later on in life?

    Related Topics
    Back & Neck Pain Pain
    My father always tells me that I have poor posture because I slouch in the chair – I find that everyone else does this as well though. It’s nearly impossible to sit upright! Can slouching affect me negatively in the future?
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    Tim Shackleford

    Physiotherapist

    At Back in Motion Campbelltown we want to help you find long-term solutions to your problems. We'll assess your problem for free, so it costs … View Profile

    Many people do slouch and find it difficult to sit upright. The problem is that we’re often not taught to sit upright properly. Most people try to sit upright by pulling their shoulders back and pushing their chest out, which flattens the upper back and uses the wrong muscles.

    The correct way for most people to sit up involves rolling forward from the pelvis, so the base of your spine is supported. By setting the posture right from the bottom of your spine, your muscles will find it much easier to hold the position.

    Having a supportive chair can also play a large role in maintaining a good posture.  If you're not sure how to change your posture, it might be worth having an assessment from a health professional, such as a physiotherapist to work out what's best your your individual needs.

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    Dr Michael Black

    Chiropractor

    Located in Armadale and Doncaster, Dr Michael Black has an interest in childrens' health and pregnancy. He is passionate aout sharing the benefits of chiropractic … View Profile

    Tim is correct in identifying that we're not taught to sit properly. Reading more about the Alexander Technique might be helpful. Sitting with your bottom right back in the chair is a good start as many people sit on the edge with their lower back unsupported.

    Posture is a learned habit, not a random event. The discipline of resetting your working posture each half hour, getting up to stretch, arranging your computer setup and doing some postural exercises goes a long way to planning for the future. Like compound interest, each activity performed regularly accumulates to reach your end goal - one gym workout alone won't cut it.

    Finally, I would encourage all slouchers to go to a gym and get into some resistance exercise for the middle back and ‘pulling’ muscles that rowing, chinups and pulldowns work on. This does need supervision and your chiropractor, physiotherapist or personal trainer can oversee this and ensure you are using correct technique and following a well formulated program.

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    Sandra McFaul

    Physiotherapist

    Do you suffer from chronic lower back pain or neck pain? Based in SYDNEY, Sandra is 1 of ONLY 15 Physiotherapists in Australia with ADVANCED … View Profile

    YES - poor posture is the number reason why so many people get back and neck pain.  Unfortuantely, we all know we should sit up straight, but until we are in pain……we don't do anything about it.

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