It isn’t really until you wreck your joints that you realize how absolutely important they truly are. The key is to take care of them early instead of waiting until the damage is already done. So, if you’re stuck at a desk all day or if you’re just one of those people who likes to sit with terrible posture, it’s time to start making some changes before you find doing absolutely everything to be a lot more difficult and a lot less comfortable.
How Poor Posture Really Can Wreck Your Joints
It’s surprisingly easy to wreck your joints. Everything from your sitting posture to the way you stand, walk, and sleep can have an impact. That said, so can what you eat, how active you are and how much extra weight you’re carrying.
I went farrrrr too long suffering from obesity while also wearing shoes with terrible support! I’m gradually getting my weight under control – now in the overweight BMI zone instead of the low end of obesity – and have recognized that if I’m going to spend the money on any of my shoes, it’s going to be the athletic shoes. I will buy lower-end fashion shoes, but if I’m going to be walking or active in them, they’re going to be supportive and fit well.
Sitting at my desk…that’s another story.
Weight and Posture Change Your Body Shape!
Okay, before you hit me with a big “duh”, when I say that weight changes your body shape, I’m not talking about the roundness around my middle. I’m talking about the way our skeletons and muscles support each other. When we weigh more, there is a shift in how this happens. This impacts where our center of gravity is positioned on our bodies.
That might not sound important, but it really is! You can wreck your joints by forcing them to have to compensate for a shape they weren’t really intended to handle. If your center of gravity is meant to be in one place under ideal body weight circumstances, but it’s actually located somewhere else, your bones, muscles and connective tissues are working differently from their “design”. This only gets harder as we age.
When our posture is terrible, this means that we’re making those same body parts work hard even when we’re sitting, not just when we’re moving around. As I type this, I just caught myself sitting slumped forward, leaning heavily on my elbows, which are on the arms of my chair as I type, with one foot on the floor, angled to the side, and the other one tucked underneath me. That can’t possibly be doing me any favors!
Be Aware of What You’re Doing to Wreck Your Joints
Desk jobs, heavy cell phone use and other common habits are causing people to wreck their joints far earlier than used to be the case. People in their twenties are ending up with physiotherapy and even surgeries, when that used to be something limited to the elderly and people whose jobs are particularly physically demanding.
Here are some of the things you could be doing right now to wreck your joints. Become aware of them and work to correct them as much as you can.
- Slouching in your chair
- Sticking your butt out while you stand
- Standing or walking with your neck and head forward from your back
- Leaning or sitting on one leg
- Hunching over a computer or phone screen
- Holding your phone between your head and shoulder
