Very likely you’ve been told, “Stand up straight.” Those three words may have made you wince at the time, but they also were meant as good advice. Habitual slouching is a body game-changer. You may lose an inch or two in height simply from hunched over posture. Poor posture not only affects your looks but also affects your joints, spinal discs, and believe it or not, how you feel – an achy back or stiff neck can make any of us grouchy. If good posture has eluded you over the years, one of the best ways of achieving it is with yoga. Whether you take a class or watch videos practiced at home, yoga is perfect for developing strength, flexibility, and core muscles, the trifecta of achieving and maintaining good posture.
Why is yoga your go-to for getting the posture you want? Here are three reasons why regularly practicing yoga will have you standing taller in no time:
Yoga helps give you body awareness
There are few exercises that provide you with the awareness of bodily movement quite like yoga. Of course, don’t expect yoga to correct poor posture overnight. But when practiced regularly, yoga forces you to be aware of slouching while learning how to correct your overall posture.
Much of yoga helps train your body to focus on controlled breathing becoming more mindful as you take a much-needed break from problems and stress. Yoga is perfect for making you pay attention to body alignment and positioning with each pose. Holding poses and feeling the stretch in all areas of your body, helps you discover what your body is capable of doing as you learn to balance while maintaining good posture. The more you practice yoga, the greater awareness you’ll of your stance throughout the day helping correct your posture.
Yoga alleviates back pain
A driving factor for poor posture is back pain, particularly in the lower back. When your back is in pain, it’s difficult to stand up straight and tall. However, a primary reason for back pain begins with poor alignment of your body or essentially, poor posture.
Over time, poor posture puts unnecessary pressure on the spine. Ultimately, this pressure will affect your back muscles, discs, and joints leading to damage of nerves resulting in immense pain.
This is when yoga can be helpful for those with low back pain likely caused by poor posture. Holding various positions as they strengthen the back can be good ways of naturally easing back pain helping reduce dependence on pain medication. However, it is strongly recommended that anyone with poor posture and back pain consult with their doctor first to get their advice and go-ahead for practicing yoga.
Yoga builds self-confidence
Your overall appearance makes a difference. Whether it’s true or not, when walking or sitting hunched over, it gives the perception of a lack of self-confidence. Carrying yourself with better posture will show the world you’re self-assured and composed both inside and out. Yoga builds muscles taking you from looking physically and mentally weak to projecting physical health and strength. Simply learning to straighten up with your body properly aligned is an instant confidence booster that in turn can be a game-changer for how you treat and are treated by others.
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