Posture is important!
“Sit up straight!” Your parents and teachers said.
Countless times, growing up, you were told the benefits and importance of posture.
So why did I write this article? Simple. To waste your time and tell you the often repeated benefits? NO!! I wrote it to tell you of the benefits that you might not know about.
The benefits that no one may have told you about!
Here they are:
1. Increases Testosterone
I’m sure you have heard that adopting good posture makes you feel more confident. More than that, did you know that it can actually make you feel happier, and more relaxed too?
This relaxation leads to lesser cortisol (the stress hormone).
Good posture also boosts testosterone. And testosterone is a very important muscle-building and fat loss hormone. Losing fat is what many of my readers want!
To those wanting to have a fitter body, this reason alone should be enough for you to sit up!
2. Improves Digestion
When you adopt good posture sitting and standing, there is less compressive forces on your stomach. Your stomach will be in a better place to digest your food.
Say goodbye to indigestion! Or at least, to be precise, have it less often.
3. Decreases Risk Of Injury
The common knowledge of good posture strengthening the back muscles did not move me many years ago. I did not actively work on good posture then.
I thought good posture only helped with muscle and joint pains. I did not have muscle or joint paints. Why should I care?
But, if someone had told me sooner that posture helped me to stay injury free, I would have taken note! Now, I’m actively working on my posture.
You see, your posture in your day-to-day life does affect your chances of injury when you attempt that heavy set of deadlifts or even sprint.
Why? Two words: Muscle Balance.
If you sit and stand with good posture, your muscles will be equally strong. There will be less tightness in any specific area. This will help reduce injury risk.
4. Improves Blood Pressure
I hope you know that lying down causes your blood pressure to decrease. Also, if you were to do inverted leg press whereby the weight is pressed upwards, your blood pressure increases.
Your blood pressure increases when you hold your breath.
So why did I tell you this? To illustrate that blood pressure can be affected by many things!
Because bad posture increases your blood pressure!
Likewise, good posture decreases your blood pressure.
A high blood pressure can cause damage in the arteries and veins and, not to mention, other ill effects. So, we do not want this.
Conclusion
So yup, err. Sit up straight and walk tall! Okay, the same conclusion that your parents and teachers told you years ago.
BUT, new reasons to do so! Hopefully, you feel inspired to work on your posture once again.
As a personal trainer in Singapore, I see poor posture all the time. I sincerely hope more people are mindful of their posture. In my practice, I emphasis training that helps your posture.
And with that, thank you for reading!
Fitness IQ+2!
If you enjoyed the free article and would like to return the favor to the website, do it by sharing the article with a friend, or liking and subscribing to the blog, or leaving a comment down below! Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Lean. Fit. You. 