I used to play Something, by George Harrison, in my head as I walked to remind me to walk gracefully. I no longer glide gracefully. I have to remind myself to pull my shoulders back and stand up straight. Now instead of “something in the way she moves, attracts me like no other lover,” it’s “Something in the way she moves, reminds me of my grandmother.”
At least that’s what my niece thought about 25 years ago. I was walking to see her in a concert and she told my sister, “I knew it was Aunt Sue coming, she walked like an old lady.” Ouch. I was in great shape then. I was in my 50s. Had run a marathon a few years earlier. I did tend to walk in a bent-forward posture always in a hurry. Sort of like the person in walk signals.
We used to take walking for granted. It was natural. The only time we thought about it was when our mother’s yelled, “Stand up straight!” Now it seems less natural. I have to constantly remind myself to “stand up straight.” Is it my imagination that it takes more energy to stand up straight? Or am I just lazy?
Our mother’s advice was good. According to NorthShore Spine Center (associated with Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago), “Bad posture can increase the strain on your back and neck. Back and neck conditions are some of the most common causes of pain and disability in the United States. This kind of pain can be recurring and incredibly distracting, preventing people from performing and enjoying everyday tasks and activities.” (1)
I have a friend who has been struggling with severe neck pain. He’s quit one of his favorite activities: golf. He’s gone through CT scans, MRIs and nerve scans without a definitive answer. One doctor told him, “You have the worst posture that I’ve ever seen.” In my friend’s defense he is no where near the worst posture that I’ve ever seen. He has found physical therapy with a series of neck stretches has decreased his pain and increased his mobility considerably.
Poor posture with a forward bend can create a hump at the base of your neck. This condition, which doctors call kyphosis, is more commonly known as dowager's hump. According to University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), a hunched back also increases disability and risk of falls and fractures. (2)
Since I have osteopenia, I’m very concerned I’ll end up with a humped back and a struggle to walk. I already have a hump at my neck from leaning over a computer screen.
Many medical providers still say there is nothing you can do about dowager’s hump, that it’s untreatable.
But there is hope. Current studies show the curving of the back can be prevented ,and even lessened, with certain exercises. UCSF did a controlled study where one group did targeted exercises for one hour, three days a week, for six months. They were also advised to practice ideal posture independently at least three times a day. A second group attended four health education meetings over a period of six months but did not receive physical therapy. The therapy group’s spinal curvature improved by 3%. (PT UCSF)
The Cleveland Clinic recommends a simple program of chin tucks, shoulder squeezes, and corner pushups to improve posture and decrease the possibility of spinal curvature. (3)
Only thing is, after the cardio to keep my heart strong, weights to keep my muscles from disappearing and keep my bones strong, balance exercises, and now posture exercises, when will I have time to enjoy retirement?
If pain, disability and possible falls aren’t enough reason to improve your posture, the National Institute of Health says it also is bad on digestion. It squeezes your stomach which can lead to gas, bloating, constipation, or acid reflux. It might not be the beans that cause that gas, it could be your posture. NIH (4)
So, in the words of mom “Stand up straight!”
References
Spine Center, Northshore University Health Center
Sukee Bennett, Physical Therapy Can Help Straighten a Hunched Back for Older People, University of California San Francisco, July 19, 2017
How You Can Fix a Dowager’s Hump, Cleveland Clinic, October 24, 2018
R Dainese, et al, Influence of body posture on intestinal transit of gas, NIH National Library of Medicine, July 2003,
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