Posture & Alignment With Waist Trainers

Posture and alignment are essential. If you have problems with headaches, digestive issues, back/neck soreness, or getting the right amount of sleep at night, your posture and alignment are likely contributing to these issues. According to the American Chiropractic Association, 31 million Americans dealt with posture or alignment problems at some point in 2021. Some of these issues are related to work, diet, and exercise levels, as well as lifestyle choices. Let's take a look at some of the root causes of posture and alignment problems and see how a waist trainer, diet, exercise, and good lifestyle choices can help. 

What causes poor alignment and posture?

Poor posture and alignment are rooted in our work, lifestyle habits, and overall health. For example, when you stare down at your cell phone to see a text message or at the computer screen to see work, this can put as much as 60 pounds of pressure on your neck. In addition, posture and alignment are leading causes of headaches due to the strain on the neck and back muscles. Over time, poor posture and alignment can potentially lead to chronic health issues, ranging from back pain to issues as complex as acid reflux.

Injuries also play a role in poor posture and alignment. An injury causes muscles around the injury to spasm and contract, which is the body's natural reaction to protect the injured body part. Over time, the body's muscles in that area weaken, negatively impacting your posture and alignment.

Even footwear impacts overall posture and alignment. Our feet support and distribute body weight. When you walk or run, shoes absorb the shock generated by your body movement. Proper footwear can help align the body properly. Footwear without proper support will place too much pressure on parts of the feet, leading to issues such as back problems and vertebrae misalignment. Eventually, you may have chiropractic issues.

Being overweight is also a common cause of posture and alignment problems. Weight tends to get distributed around the waist and torso. This pulls the pelvis forward, placing excessive pressure and strain on the lower back. Individuals tend to bend or droop in different directions to accommodate the excess weight.

Sleep position also plays a role in developing poor posture and alignment over time. Sometimes, individuals will fall asleep on the couch, curl up into a fetal position for comfort, or roll into an uncomfortable position at night. When sleeping, it is important to find a position, such as on the back, to facilitate good posture. Sleeping on your back can produce good results with alignment and help us feel refreshed throughout the day.

How poor posture and alignment can impede health

There are several acute and chronic conditions that can appear over time as a result of poor posture.

Digestive problems

Posture and alignment issues consistently cause digestive problems. Compression of the internal organs can slow metabolism, impede the ability of food to pass through the body, and leave us tired and full throughout the day. Additionally, slouching puts pressure on the abdomen, leading to acid reflux. When poor posture slows your metabolism over time, weight gain often creeps up slowly behind.

Chronic and acute back and neck pain

Over 80 million Americans deal with back or neck pain throughout the year. While 95% of these people will recover from their back or neck issues quickly, 5% of these people will develop a condition that persists for three months or longer. While most people resolve their back and neck pain by correcting their posture or alignment, it's estimated that anywhere from 50% to 80% of chiropractor visits have their origins in poor posture and alignment.

Performance and motivation

Posture and alignment also play a role in our performance and motivation to complete certain tasks. Good posture lets our lungs fill up entirely, while bad posture reduces breathing capacity by as much as 30%. Less oxygen makes it harder for us to concentrate and focus. Correcting posture throughout the work day can increase focus, energy, and overall attitude. In fact, around 70% of people report better motivation and focus when they practice good posture throughout the workday.

Exercise and activity

Over time, poor posture makes it more difficult for the body to rebuild its connective tissues, muscles, and joints. Synovial fluid is a key component of our joints. After a heavy day of exercise and activity, our body depends upon good posture when at rest to replenish its synovial fluid. Poor posture makes it harder for the body to rebuild damaged muscle tissue, making it more difficult to recover after heavy exercise.

How to develop and maintain good posture

A waist trainer is one way to help maintain good posture throughout the day. As it engages your core muscles, your posture and alignment get a little bit of a boost because the waist trainer keeps your midsection tight. Your muscles in your abdomen also become more engaged, supporting your alignment and posture. Here are some other things that will help you in addition to a waist trainer.

Get down to a healthy weight level

The CDC estimates that as many as 69 percent of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight, with another 20% suffering from obesity. Adopting a healthy diet will help you lose weight and support better posture. The right weight depends upon a lot of different variables, such as your gender and height. You can find out what your weight should be by focusing on your BMI. If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, you are within the normal weight range. Anything over 24.9 is considered overweight.

Your recommended diet will depend upon a lot of different things, such as your exercise goals, target weight, and how active you are. Ideally, most people will be fine if they stick to a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. Others might need more if they are active. Most Americans, when they overeat, consume about 3,000 to 3,500 calories per day. Remember that the body needs to burn around 3,500 calories to lose a pound. Find exercises that will let you burn about 400 to 500 calories per session to help you gradually get back down to the weight that you want.

Sit right throughout the workday

There are little things that you can do throughout the day to correct your posture, especially at work. Find a chair that lets you sit upright and supports the curves of your back. Try not to tilt your neck at an angle to look at your computer monitor. You may also find that a standing desk might be a suitable choice to help you practice good posture. Also, it is important to take breaks throughout the day to make sure that you get a chance to walk around the office and stretch your muscles.

Find a good sleeping position at night

Many people prefer different sleep positions. However, sleeping on your back may be best for posture. When you are on your back, your body naturally aligns itself. Sleeping on your back also reduces pressure on your legs, hips, and neck. Sleeping on your side but making sure that your alignment is straight will also help you maintain good posture and alignment while you are asleep.

Take steps to reduce the likelihood of injury during exercise

Injury is one of the biggest long-term contributors to poor posture. When we hurt ourselves, we correct the pain by adjusting our alignment to compensate. Taking steps to mitigate the likelihood of injury will help maintain good posture and recover good posture if an injury happens. Here are some steps that will help you with injury mitigation every time you exercise:

• Stretching and warmup exercises make your workout sessions 80% more effective and reduce the likelihood of injury.
• Staying hydrated by drinking about 8 to 10 ounces of water for every thirty minutes of your session will help your muscles perform more efficiently.
• Recovery time can help your muscles and joints rebuild themselves, making you less likely to get hurt on your next intense workout day.

Why are posture and alignment important?

Good posture and alignment are at the core of any health or fitness plan. How we carry ourselves throughout the day has a direct correlation with how healthy we are, our ability to attain the results that we want, and plays a role in our perceived self-confidence. Practicing good posture and alignment help reduce the likelihood of an injury.

A waist trainer can help you balance and correct your core muscles and alignment, in addition to a healthy diet and fitness plan. SqueezMeSkinny has several waist trainers that will help you achieve your goals, no matter your size or current level of fitness. Now is the time to start on the path to good posture and alignment.