Has anyone ever told you, "Stand up straight!" or scolded you for slouching at a family dinner? Comments like that might be annoying, but they're not wrong. Your posture, the way you hold your body when you're sitting or standing, is the foundation for every movement your body makes, and can determine how well your body adapts to the stresses on it. These stresses can be things like carrying weight, or sitting in an awkward position. And the big one we all experience all day every day: gravity. If your posture isn't optimal, your muscles have to work harder to keep you upright and balanced. Some muscles will become tight and inflexbile. Others will be inhibited. Over time, these dysfunctional adaptations impair your body's ability to deal with the forces on it. Poor posture inflicts extra wear and tear on your joints and ligaments, increases the likelihood of accidents, and makes some organs, like your lungs, less efficient. Researchers have linked poor posture to scoliosis, tension headaches, and back pain, though it isn't the exclusive cause of any of them. Posture can even influence your emotional state and your sensitivity to pain. So there are a lot of reasons to aim for good posture. But it's getting harder these days. Sitting in an awkward position for a long time can promote poor posture, and so can using computers or mobile devices, which encourage you to look downward. Many studies suggest that, on average, posture is getting worse. So what does good posture look like? When you look at the spine from the front or the back, all 33 vertebrae should appear stacked in a straight line. From the side, the spine should have three curves: one at your neck, one at your shoulders, and one at the small of your back. You aren't born with this s-shaped spine. Babies' spines just have one curve like a "c." The other curves usually develop by 12-18 months as the muscles strengthen. These curves help us stay upright and absorb some of the stress from activities like walking and jumping. If they are aligned properly, when you're standing up, you should be able to draw a straight line from a point just in front of your shoulders, to behind your hip, to the front of your knee, to a few inches in front of your ankle. This keeps your center of gravity directly over your base of support, which allows you to move efficiently with the least amount of fatigue and muscle strain. If you're sitting, your neck should be vertical, not tilted forward. Your shoulders should be relaxed with your arms close to your trunk. Your knees should be at a right angle with your feet flat on the floor. But what if your posture isn't that great? Try redesigning your environment. Adjust your screen so it's at or slightly below eyelevel. Make sure all parts of your body, like your elbows and wrists, are supported, using ergonomic aids if you need to. Try sleeping on your side with your neck supported and with a pillow between your legs. Wear shoes with low heels and good arch support, and use a headset for phone calls. It's also not enough to just have good posture. Keeping your muscles and joints moving is extremely important. In fact, being stationary for long periods with good posture can be worse than regular movement with bad posture. When you do move, move smartly. Keep anything you're carrying close to your body. Backpacks should be in contact with your back carried symetrically. If you sit a lot, get up and move around on occassion, and be sure to exercise. Using your muscles will keep them strong enough to support you effectively, on top of all the other benefits to your joints, bones, brain and heart. And if you're really worried, check with a physical therapist, because yes, you really should stand up straight.
有沒有人曾經告訴過你:“站直!” 或是和家人晚餐時 因為彎腰駝背而被訓斥? 雖說 “忠言逆耳”, 但他們並沒有錯 當你或坐或站時, 姿勢(維持身體的方式) 是每個動作的基礎 且能決定你如何適應加諸身體的壓力 這些壓力可能是搬運重物 或者彆扭的坐姿 而每天承受最大的壓力就是:重力 如果你的姿勢不良 肌肉就需要更用力 來維持直立與平衡 有些肌肉會變得緊繃而僵硬 有些則會受到抑制而鬆弛 時間一久,這些不正常的協調動作 將會損害你身體對抗外力的能力 不良姿勢會對關節 和韌帶造成更多磨損 增加意外的可能 並且降低某些器官的效能,例如肺 研究者認為脊椎側凸、 緊張性頭痛 以及背痛都和姿勢不良有關 雖然它並不是唯一的原因 姿勢甚至可以影響情緒 和對疼痛的敏感度 所以保持良好的姿勢 並不是沒有道理的 但現在保持良好的姿勢越來越難了 長時間用彆扭的坐姿會促成姿勢不良 使用電腦和其他行動裝置亦同 因為它們讓你變成低頭族 許多研究顯示, 一般人的姿勢變得越來越糟糕了 好姿勢看起來 是怎麼樣的呢? 當從正面或背面來看脊椎時 33個脊椎骨看起來應該在一條直線上 從側面看,脊椎應當有三個彎 分別在脖子、肩膀以及腰背部 人並不是天生就有這個 S 曲線的 嬰兒的脊椎只有一個彎曲, 就像字母 C 其他的彎曲將會在 12-18 個月內 隨著肌力的強化而形成 這些彎曲幫助我們直立 並幫我們分擔一些 來自於走路或跳躍的壓力 如果排列妥當 當你直立時 從側面應當能畫一條直線 從肩膀前方開始 到臀部的後方 到膝蓋前方 再到達腳踝前幾英吋的地方 這使得你的重心在支撐面的正上方 讓你能有效率地移動 減少疲勞和肌肉緊張 坐著時,脖子應當豎直 而不是前傾 肩膀應當放鬆,雙臂靠近軀幹 膝蓋應該呈垂直彎曲, 腳掌平放在地面上 但如果你的姿勢並不是那樣好 嘗試重新設置所處的環境 調整電腦螢幕, 使其與你的視線等高或略低 確保你身體所有的部分 像肘部和手腕都有支撐 必要時,使用人體工學的輔助設備 側睡時,試著讓脖子得到支撐 在雙腿之間夾一個枕頭 穿低跟並保護足弓的鞋 并使用耳麥來接電話 單單有好的姿勢是不夠的 保持肌肉和關節的運動很重要 事實上,長時間用好的姿勢保持靜止 可能比經常變換 不良的姿勢更加糟糕 要動就要動得聰明一點 搬運任何東西都要靠近身體 背包應當對稱且緊貼後背 如果你常需要坐著,偶爾要起來走走 還有就是一定要運動 經常使用肌肉會讓它們保持強健, 足以有效地支撐你的身體 更重要的是這對關節、骨頭、 大腦以及心臟都有益處 如果你實在很擔心,去找理療師咨詢 因為,是的 你真的應當站直