Posture - To What Percent Can Posture Actually Improve?
I was recently asked the question, "To what percent can posture actually improve?" Is it 100%, or should you just accept that you're going to have bad posture. There are a few factors that will determine how much of your posture you can regain. The primary issue is the health of your spine.
The bones don't just grow that way, but rather the muscles are what hold it in that place. By changing the muscles around a healthy spine, there's no reason why you shouldn't regain 100% of your posture.
If your spine is fixated, or just stuck, a chiropractor can work wonders in getting your spine moving and functioning again. If you strengthen muscles around a spine that is not functioning properly, you can still get back a great percentage of your posture, but it may not be 100% depending on the severity of the spinal fixations.
If your spine has degenerated and/or fused in any area (this takes awhile, and is more common in people over 40, with fusions being even later in life -- think 60s), then your goal is not really going to be to restore 100% of your posture. Your best bet is to keep things from getting worse, but you should notice a difference in your appearance and how you feel even if your posture is not completely restored.
If areas of your spine have changed shape, as can happen with the later stages of the dowager hump, then you will not regain 100% of your posture. Your goal will be to improve the appearance of the hump and keep things from getting worse. The longer your spine is in this position, the more likely it is that it will stay that way.
The last two factors (degeneration and a spine that has changed shape) are a smaller percentage of the population. If anything, more people will fall into the category of having areas of their spine that are just not functioning correctly.
Your age, current activity levels, and overall health will determine the type of results you can expect but I still believe that most people can achieve good posture with consistent efforts.
Dr. Natalie Cordova, a chiropractor and posture expert, wants to help you change your posture for good. Learn to improve posture at http://www.ImproveMyPosture.com
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
Added: April 3, 2008
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