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Activities in Which You Need Good Posture

Good posture requires arranging your muscles correctly in order to take pressure off your spine and put it onto the muscles that stabilize your spine. It is important for a range of activities because it reduces your risk of back injury, makes you able to lift more, and generally makes you better equipped to move in an efficient manner.

  1. Walking and Running

    • Walking and running are both activities that put pressure on your knee and ankle joints. If you run with bad posture, the force of your movement is more acute on these joints because your legs have to carry your body weight in addition to moving it forward. If, however, you run or walk with good posture, your weight will be more evenly distributed across your upper body, leaving your legs free to focus on moving you forward.

    Golf

    • Good posture is critical in golf. If you consistently have good posture, you will have more control over your core. This improves your ability to move your upper and lower body as you swing the golf club, which gives you more power and control. Posture also affects how far you can move your arms. If you stand up straight, you can move your arms and shoulders much farther and with more power than you can when you are slouched.

    Boxing

    • Throwing an effective punch requires more than an arm and a fist. A well-delivered punch uses force generated from your legs to your shoulders. You cannot transfer this force as effectively -- or at all -- if you have bad posture.

    Weightlifting

    • Good posture makes weightlifting more effective and reduces the risk of injury. When you squat, push or pull with good posture you are engaging more muscles than if you are doing the same with poor posture. This is because you're engaging your back muscles rather than your vertebrae, which makes the exercise harder but ultimately makes you stronger.

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