19 February 2022 | New Scientist | 45researchers are concerned.
“We don’t know yet what’s going to
happen to these kids who slouch all day long,”
says Wendy Katzman at the University of
California, San Francisco. If you develop an
excessive forward curve of the thoracic spine,
“over time, you’re going to lose the ability
to inflate your lungs fully”, she predicts.
If you are prone to sitting or standing in
one position for too long, you can counteract
the effect on your body by stretching and
strengthening the muscles and ligaments
that would otherwise become shorter
and weaker as a result. Pilates and yoga
can help you achieve this result. These kinds
of exercises also help maintain the body’s
ability to sustain a full range of movement,
something that concerns Straker and other
physiotherapists far more than “poor” posture.
Strength and flexibility exercises can also
counteract the pronounced stooping of the
thoracic spine that affects 40 per cent of
adults over the age of 65 (see “Stop the
stoop”, left). A severe stoop can seriously
affect quality of life, for instance, by slowing
down walking speed.
One thing that isn’t helpful, says O’Sullivan,
is forcing yourself to hold positions that are
unnatural in an attempt to improve your
posture. “When you ask people to sit ‘properly’- in other words, straight – that just tends to
make them sore and uncomfortable,” he says.
This is one reason why some physiotherapists - who, as a profession, were once obsessed with
“correct” posture – now think we should be far
less concerned about our posture and instead
focus on moving about more. “I would suggest
worrying about it less and change posture
more frequently. The best posture isn’t the
same for everyone,” says Richards.
And that’s a message the experts finally do
agree on. “Don’t worry about sitting posture,
and don’t hassle your kids about how they sit,”
says O’Sullivan. “Just make sure you move
around lots in between your slouching.” ❚
Alison George is a features
editor at New ScientistStop the stoop
Muscle weakness, decreased spinal mobility and a gradual decline in our awareness of the position of
our body in space all lead to a gradual stoop after middle age, which can sometimes become severe and
debilitating. Research by Wendy Katzman, who studies physical therapy at the University of California,
San Francisco, shows that a combination of strength and flexibility training can help you fight back.SPINAL FLEXIBILITY
Kneel on all fours, inhale, and arch your
back, tipping your pelvis and chest
forwards. Look up to the ceiling, then
exhale and tuck your pelvis under, drawing
your abdominal muscles towards your
spine and tucking your chin towards your
chest. This, also known as the “cat-cow”
pose, helps maintain spine flexibility.
CHEST STRETCH
Lie on your back with your knees bent
and a foam roller placed lengthways
along your spine. Stretch your arms
out to the sides. This allows the chest
and front of the spine to stretch, along
with associated muscles, ligaments
and joints.PRONE TRUNK LIFT
Lie face down, with your arms, head
and shoulders in a W shape. Lift your
upper trunk a few inches off the
floor then relax. Aim for two sets of
eight repetitions. This strengthens
the muscles attached to the back of
the spine.A six-month programme of these types of exercises, three times a week, has been
shown to reduce the curvature of the upper spine, says Katzman.