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Slouching may not affect your spine, but it does mess up another major area of your body
Despite the long-held belief that slouching causes permanent damage to your spine, research suggests that we should be more concerned about slouching’s effect on our memory.
Most people probably have memories of their elders correcting their posture at family events and functions. Naturally, for most of our lives, we have been under the impression that poor posture is the leading cause of back pain and numerous other health issues. But as it turns out, spinal issues are not caused by poor posture and your back pain could have a whole host of other causes from the type of clothes you wear to a lack of physical exercise.
Tell your granny that slouching does not, in fact, break your spine
Over the last couple of hundred years, the human race has come to view good posture as a sign of wealth, attractiveness, and education. Because of this drive to ballerina-like poise, the internet is now rife with posture hacks like placing your tongue in a different place.
In a recent CNN report, Manchester Metropolitan University’s Chris McCarthy detailed why spine issues are not the area of the body we should be focused on when it comes to slouching.
“The great news is that in the past two decades, theres been a plethora of rigorous clinical studies conducted which have concluded that theres no relationship between slouching and spinal pain,” he penned. “Theres also no evidence that people who slouch are more likely to suffer with back or neck pain compared to non-slouchers.”
Chris continued to explain that health officials in the UK have already altered their guidance to support the latest evidence. Instead, those organizations are now recommending sufficient time on your feet, varied sitting positions, and an emphasis on not straining your neck. As such, yoga positions could be just what you’re looking for.
“Theres a pretty good reason why slouching doesnt damage our spines, and that is because our spines are designed to allow movements as diverse as Olympic weightlifting to limbo dancing,” Chris wrote.
Slouching has an interesting link with our memory
Though slouching has no direct effect on your spine, the same could not be said of your memory, Chris unfortunately revealed. Citing one study from 2014, the research fellow said that slouching has been linked to poorer information, memory recall, and even a worse mood.
He said: “These memory and mood problems are shown to be rapidly improved when moving from a slouched to erect posture. So perhaps there is some truth to the notion that slouching may still be a bodily representation of negativity.”
