By Emily Chan
You take a look around, what do you see? That’s correct, the Hunchback of Notre Dame in every seat. And that’s when it hits you … (possibly on the back?), that you and your peers are all slouching.
In a world of bad posture, it’s easy to slump down with all the rest and to poke fun at a seemingly small bad habit. However, that one little bad habit just so happens to manifest and compound into a plethora of health and confidence issues that will stick with you for a lifetime. So it’s best to stop slouching now, right?
Here are 3 reasons to stop slouching.
- Physical Decay
Have you ever heard of the saying, you’re not ugly, you’re just poor. Well, let me share my take on it. You’re not ugly, you’re just slouching.
The look of confidence and good health is conventionally attractive. But, by being an active participant of the slouching movement, you ultimately lack both. So, all of those hours working out at the gym and picking out stylish outfits simply don’t stand a chance against the monster that is bad posture.
When you slouch, your body becomes misaligned. This misalignment, though small, leads to adverse side effects that make looking good the least of your worries. Slouching is the culprit of rounded shoulders, pot belly, chronic back pain and spinal dysfunction. Not only that, the unnecessary strain slouching puts on your neck and shoulder muscles leads to muscle weakness and joint degeneration.
- Mental decay
What comes to mind when you think of an insecure person? That’s correct, they are slouching. This is because a slumped posture makes you feel smaller, giving you the look of insecurity. During a Harvard study on how posture affects people’s moods, those who were put in a slouched position were more prone to using negative words and shorter responses. In essence, you become what you look like.
Thus, why would you want your self-esteem to be as weak as your muscles?
- Productivity decay
Are you chronically tired? It may come as a surprise that slouching actually takes up more energy than sitting or standing up straight. Poor posture compresses your diaphragm, lungs and intestines and restricts your rib cage. This means your body must work harder to simply breathe and digest food. All of the energy that goes into keeping you alive in your slouched state only ends in fatigue and ultimately a stark decrease in productivity.
Conclusion
It’s safe to say that slouching is detrimental to one’s livelihood, whether that be physically or mentally. We have so much going on in our lives that posture is something that flies under the radar. However, it’s evident that this simple bad habit could be the biggest roadblock in your path to success. So rise up … from your chairs and straighten your back, you’re slouching again!
