How Your Daily Habits Can Impact Your Breathing and Posture
Did you know that the way you tilt your head when texting or binge-watching your favorite series can actually influence your health? It turns out that our head and neck are quite adaptable to bending and leaning forward, but there's a catch. When we hold our heads in these forward-leaning postures too long—something that's becoming all too common with our gadget-heavy lifestyles—the real problems start.
Imagine this: the average person eye watching between 2 to 4 hours each day just hunched over their smartphones. That adds up to a staggering 700 to 1,400 hours per year where our necks are under abnormal stress. And it doesn’t stop there. Most Americans sit all day at work, only to come home and park themselves on the couch for more screen time. All in all, we’re sitting around 13 hours a day!
This sedentary lifestyle isn't doing us any favors. The strain of constantly looking down or sitting poorly can mess with much more than just our neck muscles—it can actually affect our lung capacity and breathing. A study from 2017 found a direct link between bad posture, like the notorious forward head posture, and decreased respiratory function. The researchers discovered that as posture worsened, so did lung function and neck muscle balance.
So, what can we do about it? Well, chiropractic care is one of the top ways people are fighting back against these modern maladies. Chiropractors are all about getting you to straighten up and fly right, quite literally. They have a few tips up their sleeves:
- Regular Chiropractic Visits: Keep those appointments to help maintain proper spinal alignment.
- Mindful Sitting: Adjust your workspace so that your gadgets are at eye level, helping keep your head and neck in a neutral position.
- Move It or Lose It: Try to get up and move every hour to keep your body loose and limber.
Chiropractors are passionate about teaching the importance of good posture, not just to prevent discomfort, but to enhance overall health and functionality. Opting for proactive chiropractic care could be your best strategy for keeping your spine happy and your breathing unimpeded. Remember, taking charge of your posture now can pay off with better health down the line. Choose chiropractic—it’s a decision your lungs, neck, and spine will thank you for!
Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation August 2017
"Correlation between forward head posture, respiratory functions, and respiratory accessory muscles in young adults." MS Kim, YJ Cha, JD Choi