In the present age of electronic gadgets, everyone loves to spend hours in a sitting position, either to work on the computer, watch TV or read messages on mobile. Even in the offices, most of the work is done on the computer, and therefore most of us spend our working time in sitting positions, including driving for a long commute. In reality, such kind of lifestyle has not only created an isolated and gloomy society but also affected our physical and mental health.
Most of us spend our entire day at work and keep busy, whereas many women who stay at home spend their time watching TV or playing games on mobile. In general, social interaction, which brings joy and happiness in our lives, has been reduced. Physical activity, like playing outside in the playground, running, etc., has decreased drastically in the entire society. Even kids like to play games for hours in a lying position, on the bed or read books in a half-lying position. So, in a way, our lifestyle is such that we don’t pay attention to our sitting posture and don’t perform proper yogic exercises either.
Such a lifestyle is creating stress and affecting the health of the masses severely. Sitting in a lousy posture puts pressure on neck muscles and affects blood flow through the spinal cord to the brain. This causes back pain and headache and affects energy levels, and creates fatigue. A wrong sitting posture affects our health in many ways. We never pay attention to our sitting position until we get pain in the back and neck area. In reality, it does not just affect our health but affects our confidence level as well. Sitting in the wrong posture for a long time affects our digestive system as well. When people sit with a bent back, it makes the backbone curved. Watching TV in a half-lying position affects the digestive system adversely. Sitting in the right posture keeps our digestive system in good working condition. Not only our posture should be correct, but our clothes should be loose enough so that no part of our body has poor blood circulation.
Even scientists worldwide claim that our postures are essential to keep good health, and sitting for a long time in a lousy position, can give rise to blood pressure. Sitting for a long time in one posture puts pressure on veins and gives rise to diseases like blood pressure. Sitting in a bent position can also affect lung functioning. In a bent position, one cannot have deep breathing, and in the long run, it can affect one’s lung functioning due to a lack of ability to breathe in such postures. It means they can only take shallow breathing and eventually increase body stress. Simultaneously, someone, who sits in the right posture, breathes well and keeps his/her digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems healthy.
Mere physical sitting is not enough. You have to sit carefully and attentively. Let your body and breathing sit. Let your mind and emotions sit. …Then your sitting becomes indestructible, immovable. – Taizan Maezumi
Sitting in a bad posture puts extra pressure on muscles. This kind of action secretes stress hormones in the body, which imbalances the body’s endocrine system. Imbalance in endocrine gland functioning causes many physical and mental ailments. An unhealthy body usually makes a person lazy. In fact, the right posture increases energy levels, and that is why, all yogic exercises help us improve our physical postures. Meditation posture is always recommended with a straight back. Breathing exercises are also done by keeping the back straight.
However, sitting for a long time by keeping the back straight also creates stress on muscles. Therefore, one can bend the waist area for a while and continue back to the right posture. However, keeping the back in the bent situation for a long time and keeping straight for a while could be very bad for health. Many kids, while studying, sit in a curved back posture; sometimes, they study in lying positions and also carry heavy load of books on their backs – all such postures affect health. Similarly, while working on the computer, watching videos on mobile, if one does not keep the right position, it can affect their health. After a short while, they get pain in the neck, back, fingers, eyes, etc.
In the present world, we can’t escape from the kind of lifestyle we have acquired to keep very busy and work for long hours. Still, we can certainly practice to maintain a good body posture, perform regular yogic exercises, and meditate, to keep our mind and body happy and healthy and augment our energy levels.
By projecting strength and excellence in your physical presence, you will:1. Look better and feel better.2. Appear, and be, more fit and healthy.3. Powerfully influence your mindset.4. Appear more confident, self-assured, and competent.5. Carry yourself with more purpose and intention.6. Breathe deeper and get more oxygen in your body, which will improve your energy and health. Reduce or prevent back pain and muscle tension. Improve productivity by energizing your physiology. Make a significantly more positive impression.– Susan C. Young
“I want to get old gracefully. I want to have good posture; I want to be healthy and be an example to my children. – Sting”
Source: Akhand Jyoti Jan-Feb 2021