The Slump
Right now, this very minute, you're reading this on, let me guess, your laptop or your iPad or your iPhone. Chances are your head is forward of your shoulders, unless of course, you're reading this on your back, and that's unlikely. Your neck and upper back muscles are straining to support your oversized head in this forehead-down position. Maybe you've corrected it and brought your head up and then your eyes have to look down to read. Awkward.
This "head forward" position happens all day long. Think about it. It happens while you're reading, computing, cooing with your newborn, or filing your nails. It's life, right? Right. But keep this up over year and years (and kids are starting even younger) and there are problems ahead.
The changes to your cervical spine (neck) happen slowly and most of us don't feel the extra weight. The body smartly compensates, but gravity keeps pushing. Your 10-12 lb head, which should be effortlessly balanced on top of your spine, increases it's load 10 lbs for every inch the head moves forward. So, if the head is 2 inches forward, the load on your neck and muscles is increased by a 20 lbs. Jeez, that's four 5-lb. bags of sugar.
Besides pulling your spine out of alignment, it can lead to a loss of 30% of your lung's capacity.(1). It has to do with the action that elevates your first rib during an in breath. Restricted breathing can add to greater anxiety and depression. Forward head carriage leads to neck pain and discomfort. Chronic tension and tightness in the neck muscles contributes to headaches. In the elderly, studies have shown that a forward hunched posture raised death rates (44% greater in one study).(2)
In the article How Forward Head Posture Wrecks Havoc on Your Health and What to do About It, the authors write:
"If you start out with good posture, the deterioration of posture won't really be noticeable until around age 45-50, when the first signs of aging become apparent. If you already have a slumped over posture, the health of your back will deteriorate even faster once gain undermines your body's ability to resist the downward pull of gravity."
For most of us, this is a wake-up call. What can we do besides constantly remind ourselves to balance the big ball on top of the torso. Exercise is great, of course, but some are better than others. Pilates, yoga, tai chi, are great. Biking, not so good. Needlepoint, neither. Yoga is especially good because it works the spine in all planes of motion to keep the discs more lubricated.
So, why not start right now. I'm trying.
(1) http://www.livestrong.com/article/124223-forward-head-posture-symptoms/#ixzz26bDdjkhx
(2) Smith, Terry, Ph.D, Norlyk Smith, Phd, How Forward Head Posture Wrecks Havoc on Your Health and What to Do About It, yogauonline.com.
Want to read some of my previous articles? You can do it here. Enjoy.
