the times | Tuesday July 28 2020 1GT 7
body&soul
and keeping the arms static, it can
negatively affect how you feel,”
Broadbent says. “In contrast, walking
with the head level, looking straight
ahead, and swinging your arms has
been shown to have a more positive
outcome for mood.”
People with depression often droop
their shoulders, so for one of her
studies Broadbent recruited 61
participants with mild to moderate
depression and asked half to sit with
levelled shoulders, a straightened back
and an upright head during a screen
test — she stuck a stiff piece of
physiotherapy tape on their backs that
pulled tight if they slumped. The rest
were left to adopt their habitual
slouch. Results showed that even
when they were presented with stress-
inducing tasks such as giving a five-
minute speech or counting backwards
from 1,022 in blocks of 13, the upright
sitters reported overwhelmingly
higher levels of energy and positivity.
“Those asked to sit upright reduced
their fatigue and increased their
enthusiasm over a short time period,”
Broadbent says. Even their speech
patterns changed. “In a stressful
speech test they reduced how much
they used first-person singular
pronouns such as ‘me’ and ‘I’,” she
says. “This suggests they had more
energy, less negative mood and were
less self-focused.”
Why this happens is partly down
to the way posture affects our
physiological state. “Our posture
influences our blood pressure and
heart rate and how we feel about
stress,” Broadbent says. “Upright
participants had a healthier pulse
pressure overall during and after a
stressor test than those who were
slumping.” But it also affects how
others perceive us, and once we are
more upright, our body language
exudes more positive vibes.
“There is evidence that posture
can affect how others perceive us,”
she says. “People in more upright
postures are seen as more dominant,
and it’s possible that this canOur
posture
influences
our blood
pressure,
heart rate
and stress
health
to deal with
leg cramps
1
Stretch before bed
According to the NHS,
nocturnal leg cramps are
common, mostly affecting the
calf muscles, but also those in
the feet and thighs. The sudden onset
can be painful and leave muscles
tender for up to 24 hours. Precise
causes are unknown, although night
cramps do become more prevalent
with age. Some studies suggest that
hard workouts contribute, others that
physical inactivity is a cause, with
inadequate stretching leading to
reduced muscle and tendon length.
A study in the Journal of
Physiotherapy involving 80 adults
aged 55 or older found that stretching
the calf and hamstring muscles nightly
for six weeks before going to sleep
significantly reduced leg cramping.
If cramps are severe, quinine is
a possible treatment, but consult your
GP because the National Institute for
Health and Care Excellence says it
should only be considered when
cramps cause regular sleep disruption.2
Stay hydrated (and
add a pinch of salt)
Last year a review in the
journal Sports Medicine by
Ronald Maughan of the
University of St Andrews attempted to
unpick the causes of exercise-induced
leg cramps. Tired, overworked muscles
are a possible trigger, he says.
“However, everyone is fatigued in the
later stages of endurance events such
as a marathon race, but relatively few
experience muscle cramps.” Sweat
losses in warm weather “accompanied
by drinking large volumes of plain
water may be a risk factor for cramp
during exercise”, he added.
“There is some evidence that the
risk is reduced by the addition of salt
to fluids,” Maughan says. Popping salt
tablets during exercise is not a good
idea because they increase the body’s
concentration of
sodium,
potentially
making
matters
worse.
Professor
John
Brewer,
the author
of Run Smart
(Bloomsbury),
says that “drinking
an isotonic sports drink or adding
a pinch of salt in a drink are
sensible options”.3
Try toe raises
Massage and gentle
stretching of the area when
you have cramp will help to
relieve it. Paul Hobrough,
a physiotherapist and the author
of The Runner’s Expert Guide to
Stretching (Bloomsbury), recommends
toe raises for the calf muscles. Stand
upright with your back against a wall.
Take a small step away and, planting
the heels on the ground, raise your
toes as far as you can. Slowly lower
back down and repeat several times.
Peta Beehave feedback effects on our own
perceptions as well as give a good
impression to others.”
We don’t have to strut, swagger or
gesticulate with swinging arms — the
tiniest physical tweaks can produce
psychological changes.
Brown says that until starting her
study it had never crossed her mind
that posture could be so powerful.
“We hold a lot of tension in our
shoulders when we slouch, and that
might promote negativity,” she says.
“I do pay more attention to correcting
little movements and postures that
might have this effect.”
Broadbent embarked on her
research after walking on a day when
she felt a bit blue and realising that
her slumped posture was adding to
her mental load. “I now know that
taking a walk while keeping my head
looking forward helps me when I am
feeling a bit down,” she says. “It gives
me a greater perspective on things I
am worried about rather than being
too introspective.”GETTY IMAGES; ALAMYSit down to enjoy food
(and stand up to eat less)
There are signs that posture also
affects how we eat and digest
food. Last year a study in the
Journal of Consumer Research
looked at how posture changed
our enjoyment of a meal. Dipayan
Biswas, a professor of marketing
at the University of South Florida,
reported that standing up, even
for a few minutes, when eating
muted the taste buds and that the
force of gravity prompted the
heart to work harder, ultimately
resulting in increased levels of the
stress hormone cortisol. Posture
altered taste perception, with food
tasting better when you are sitting
down, Biswas found, so changing
to a standing posture to eat could
mean you consume fewer calories.Don’t overstress about
standing straight
If you start to obsess about
ramrod posture, it can backfire.
In March researchers at the
University of Idaho found that
when older adults were instructed
to correct their posture, those who
described it as “effortful” to
engage their core and stand up
straight were at an increased risk
of falling. Participants had the
best balance when told to think
about “lightening up” their body.
“It compared older persons’
balance when they stand to
attention and stiff like a soldier,
compared to standing in more
relaxed but non-slouching
positions,” says Elizabeth
Broadbent, a professor of health
psychology at the University of
Auckland. “It seems to make
sense that holding muscles rigid
might mean we are less able to
maintain balance.”Try a digital aid
If you slump into a slouched
position as the day goes on, you
could try an app that prompts you
to correct your posture. Set stand-up reminders on your smartphone
or smart watch, or try the Upright
Go posture trainer (from £69.99;
uprightpose.com), which is
designed to correct your stance. It
comes as a necklace or silicone
adhesive strip that connects to an
app via Bluetooth so that the
device vibrates when you slouch.
An alternative is the Lumo Lift
posture coach and activity tracker,
which tracks posture via an app
and buzzes when you slump
(£59.99, Amazon).Do daily exercises
Lexie Williamson, the author of
Move: Free Your Body Through
Stretching Movement
(Bloomsbury, £14.99) says that
good posture will become your
natural default if you address the
habits that make you hunch. To
unshackle your shoulders, she
suggests grabbing a belt or tie and
performing a shoulder flexion
exercise whenever you start to
slump. Stand with your feet
hip-width apart. Hold the strap in
front of your body at chest height,
hands at least body-width apart or
wider. Inhale and raise your arms
above your head without lifting
the shoulders. Exhale and return
to chest height. Repeat five times.
Then extend your shoulders by
taking the strap behind your back,
hands body-width apart, palms
downwards. Inhale and raise the
strap, keeping your arms straight
and avoiding leaning forwards.
Exhale back to the start position.
Repeat five times.rt
y),
rinking
sports drink or addingDodddaiilly exercises
Perfect your posture