Consider your body posture as a tent. The rigid poles hold the canvas up and form the main structure. The poles cannot stand upright without the help of guy-ropes and pegs holding everything in place. The tension in the guy-ropes needs to be balanced otherwise if one side is too tight (or loose) the opposite side sags or collapses. Similarly, the strength and placement of the pegs holding the ropes is crucial, so they do not slip loose or snap and the side of the tent crumbles. If you can imagine that, you will know where I’m heading with this.
Essentially your spine is the main central pole of the tent and your muscles are the guy-ropes. The muscles attaching to your spine and working around your spine need to be balanced in strength and length; otherwise they will load your spine unevenly or pull on spinal joints allowing it to ‘cave in’ on a side that is lacking support, or overload and damage structure on other side. In the same way your tendons and ligaments are the pegs holding the muscles in place, ensuring they are strong and healthy, allows the muscles to work properly and in turn support and move your spine correctly.
The goal of having good posture is to minimise strain on your spine and its supporting muscles, tendons, and ligaments, thereby allowing you to sit or stand with minimal effort and avoiding the development of pain and stiffness. To find out more about how you can achieve the optimal posture click the button below.
