Bad posture leads to more than just back pain, it can make us depressed too

It goes without saying that poor posture puts us at risk of back and neck pain – but new findings suggest that the issues a slouch can lead to may go a whole lot deeper. Standing and sitting badly can make us feel more stressed and this in turn affects energy levels and sleep, experts report in Health Psychology.
The research team came to this conclusion by splitting 74 people into groups. Half were asked to slump and the others were seated in an upright posture. Their backs were strapped with physiotherapy tape to hold this posture throughout the study and completed a reading task.
The volunteers who were sitting in an upright position had a higher pulse rate and reported higher self-esteem, more arousal, better mood and lower fear, compared to slumped participants.
“Adopting an upright seated posture in the face of stress can maintain self-esteem, reduce negative mood, and increase positive mood compared to a slumped posture,” the research team concludes.
The British Chiropractic Association has the following advice:

– When relaxing in front of the TV at home, the tendency is to ‘slouch’. An ideal sitting position is to let the seat take your weight and, if possible, keep as much of your body in contact with the chair so that your whole body is supported.
– Don’t sit for more than 30-40 minutes at a time, stand up to stretch, change position and walk around a little.
– Drink Up! Try drinking water instead of tea or coffee; it will be healthier and keep your body hydrated.
– Look for small opportunities to exercise during the day; use the stairs instead of the lift or escalator, get off your bus/train/tube a stop earlier and walk or take a walk during your lunch break.