HEALTH NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 252, 23 September 1929, Page 2

HEALTH NOTES

GOOD POSTURE, '

BENEFITS HUMAN BODY.

(Contributed by the Department of Health.)

Good posture is necessary to good, health and beauty and to the best physical and mental development. There is a growing appreciation of this fact in the education of children to-day. The nation, it. has been said, would benefit greatly if, as in ancient Greece, an ideal in the form of statues showing perfect physical development could be kept before our youth at all.times. The adult, subconsciously at least, admires the man with the vigorous, upright posture which speaks for strength, success and character, yet he fails to teach it to his children. The child must bo impressed repeatedly, by teaching, discipline and example, with the importance of correct posture. WHAT IS GOOD POSTURE? In good posture the head is carried erect, not backward or forward; the shoulders are square, not round; the chest is up and out, not flat; the abdomen is drawn in and does not protrude; the back curve is slight, not exaggerated, and the legs are straight. Correct posture is proved by the following simple test:— In the standing position, mark the centre of the ear, the centre of the shoulder, the centre of the hips, the knees and the ankle joints. A cord stretched perpendicularly from above the head to the floor by a weight will pass opposite tho centre of each mark. To follow this line, note that the head must be erect, the shoulders square, the chest forward of the line, the abdomen flat and the legs straight. In this position the weight of the body is distributed equally down to the centre of the feet, requiring no unnatural strain on any group of muscles to keep the body in an upright position. Correct posture in the standing position will soon develop correct posture in walking, working, sitting or lifting, making it possible to do these things with the least amount of effort—certainly without a waste of energy.

HOW CAN GOOD POSTURE BE ATTAINED?

Correct posture may be simply, easily, and quickly learned, particularly by young people. The older and more set the person, the more fixed are the habits of standing, walking, and sitting, yet they may be corrected with a little patience and neserverance. The acquiring of a good posture does not necessarily mean military training or oven strenuous physical exercise. It has little to do with what we ordinarily call muscular development

It cannot be emphasised too much that posture, good or bad, is a habit. Good posture may become a habit as a result of teaching and application of thought. Perfect posture comes from the application of- good posture. The first essential in learning good posture is to see it and sense it in your own body. Apply to yourself the straight line, or cord, test- as described above. Standing before a full-length mirror, visualise your body with the straight line passing the ear, the middle of the shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle joint.- The position will be natural and an easy one to maintain. Simple reminders of good posture to keep in mind are to “stand tall and sit tall.”

There is a very simple, yet an easy method of - developing good postural habit. This consists in consciously drawing in the upper abdomen at all times. whethor standr ing, walking, or sitting. By the upper abdomen is meant that portion immediately below the ribs and the “sternum” or breastbone. By practising this method it can he readily seen that the chest is forward, the shoulders squared, and the proper curvature of the spine •is attained. Thus the chest and the abdomen are given more space in which to carry on their functions. . Everyone who will try this simple method for a few days will at once he cognisant of the fact that breathing is deeper and seemingly more satisfactory. Start each day with a walk of a few blocks during which the upper abdomen is drawn in and the proper posture maintained. This practice will soon develop into a natural, easy habit, and its good effects will, in a short time, manifest themselves. RESULTS OF SIMPLE POSTURAL TRAINING. The -result of a 'conscientous efFort to hold up and in the upper abdomen was tested by a number of persons with the following _ results': An ability to hold the position in the course of time without obvious efFort. A gradual enlargement of the chest and an increase in chest expansion. Apparently, an improvement in digestion. Improvement in natural bowel elimination. Greater ease in standing, sitting and walking, and apparently better circulation. Improved resistance to infection, particularly to colds. A decided improvement in appearance. GRACEFULNESS AND AGILITY. Correct posture gives gracefulness and agility to all ages. The child who is erect immediately wins the admiration of others, for everyone appreciates a healthful bearing. The young adult, whether walking or dancing or sitting, in correct posture, immediately suggests strength, gracefulness and beauty of body. The mature adult by correcting his posture not only looks ten years younger, but actually feels and acts ten years less than his age. The elderly man who is “straight as an arrow” enjpys his walks and other activities, while the one who fails to learn correct posture is more easily fatigued because all movements require greater effort. WHAT IS BAD POSTURE? In bad posture the head is allowed to drop forward. The chin is dropped. The chest is flat and sunken. . The upper trunk has swayed backward and the lower trunk lias sagged forward. ' The back curves are exaggerated. With the sinking of the chest the abdomen drops, is relaxed, and protrudes. Tho knees are sometimes bent forward, sometimes sprung backward. There is unquestionably a relationship between good posture a/nd good health and bad posture and poor health. Poor posture found among our youth results in a complete or partial exhaustion of important muscles from continued sagging. Backache, sometimes severe, may be due to poor posture. Pain between the shoulderblades or at the small of the back, and many times headaches at tho base of the skull, are in some cases relieved by correcting poor posture. Constipation is often due to poor posture. Correcting the posture can raise the abdominal organs one to five inches. Abdominal muscle contraction such as is necessary for good posture will generally overcome constipation, especially in individuals with lax abdominal walls. Abdominal pain, chest pain, and pain in the limbs may sometimes be

due to poor posture. Correction of posture will then relieve the pressure on the nerve roots as they emerge from the spine and will be followed by relief of distress if there is no organic difficulty. Many conditions often considered vague as to their causation, such as nervousness, insomnia, general disability, and nervous mental irritability, have been relieved by correcting the posture. A flat chest interferes with deep breathing, upon which the entire body depends for its supply of oxygen and its elimination of carbon dioxide and other waste materials. _ The lungs and heart cannot function with ease when in a cramped position.