We’ve all been told to sit or stand up straight by our parents when we were younger. Maybe you dismissed their reminders back then, but now realize that they were right—and wish that you had listened.

Poor posture comes with a myriad of negative effects that can harm your health from head to toe, inside and out. Here are some them…

1. Headaches. If your head frequently hurts, check your posture. Bad posture can strain the muscles at the back of the head, neck, jaw, and upper back, leading to tension headaches.
2. Jaw pain. A forward head posture can overwork the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) due to the stress placed on the muscles under the chin. Aside from pain, you may experience popping in your jaw and have difficulty opening your mouth.
3. Back and neck pain. Poor posture often contributes to back and neck pain, which can become chronic and diminish your quality of life. However, do note that stiffness in these areas can also be caused by injury and other conditions.
4. Shoulder pain. A hunched posture can cause the muscles and tendons in the rotator cuff to become pinched or impinged. Shoulder impingement can result in a tear in the rotator cuff tissue, which can restrict normal movement. Muscle weakness or imbalances linked to bad posture can also cause irritation and pain in the rotator cuff tendons.
5. Knee and foot pain. Poor alignment of the hips, knees, and feet can prevent the kneecap from gliding smoothly over the femur, resulting in friction that can irritate the front of the knee. Poor alignment of the ankles and feet can lead to plantar fasciitis, a condition that is characterized by heel pain.
6. Changes in the spine. Poor posture puts a lot of pressure on the spine and affects its normal curvature, which are important for flexibility, balance, and shock absorption. Changes in the spinal curves can cause long-term pain and discomfort as well.
7. Breathing problems and fatigue. Poor posture can contribute to reduced lung capacity and shallow breathing since the rib cage and diaphragm are compressed. This, in turn, can lead to low energy and productivity levels.
8. Poor digestion. Slouching in a chair for extended periods can be harmful to your digestive organs, according to studies. This slows down your metabolism and digestion and can even impair your body’s ability to process food in the long run.
9. Joint stress. Poor posture causes weight to be distributed to the wrong places, so joints that should not be bearing load in the first place end up having to compensate. Pain and degradation of connective tissue result when joints are put under too much stress.

Written by: Chau Nguyen, a marathon runner and fitness junkie from Vietnam. His blog Running Addicted is a resource for runners seeking to improve their training and racing. 

https://www.runningaddicted.com/