Why is Autumn a pain in the neck?
When in reality, it is such a beautiful time of year. All around us, colours change, the mornings are crisp, and we still enjoy some sunshine.
What is not to love, so why is it a pain?
The nights are well and truly drawing in, the evenings are colder, and winter is not far away. This means we are starting to wear our winter wardrobe, often consisting of warm scarves that can cause neck pain, and we start to hunch our shoulders to keep warm – both of which are very bad for our posture.
As we snuggle down into our warm coats and stoop forward to keep the cold out, we can no longer walk correctly. This can aggravate your lower back resulting in the return of old aches and pains or even the start of new ones.
So, why is posture so important?
Firstly, good posture means our bones are properly aligned, and our muscles and tendons can work correctly, helping to reduce the chance of injury. Your vital organs are all in the right place and able to work at their best; believe it or not, it has a positive effect on your nervous system.
Other benefits include an increase in self-confidence. They say ‘stand up straight’ for a reason – it means you pull your shoulders back, which improves your breathing. Therefore can help reduce stress levels. A local speaker in Salisbury once told me she always wears heels when presenting. It means she stands straight, creates a self-assured image and therefore gives a confident presentation!
Sitting up straight at your desk creates a strong natural line for your spine, resulting in you working more efficiently and reducing stress. Plus, it reduces strain on those muscles and tendons. It goes without saying that posture, or more to the point, good posture, is essential to exercise as well.
In fact, if you can get your posture right – life should be much better all round from watching the television to working out in the gym!!
Bad habits are hard to break – so if you are already feeling the strain on your body from the colder weather, the Sarum Physio team are here to get you back on the ‘straight’ and narrow. Why not join sign up and join Alison, our Pilates Instructor who offers 1 to 1 Pilates sessions, a fantastic way of improving that posture and strengthening your core!
