Improve posture and breathe easier

Can chiropractic improve your breathing? In deed it can! By correcting posture through chiropractic care, breathing is improved by increasing lung capacity.

A 2006 report by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation showed some striking results based on posture. Using 70 able-bodied participants in wheelchairs, the study found that bad posture does indeed affect breathing and lung capacity. They tested slumped seating, normal seating, standing and a special posture that imitates standing spinal alignment. This special posture involves tilting the bottom of a seat (like using a seat wedge) with lumbar support—with the spine “against the back part of the seat without ischial [sitting bone] support.”
They found that slumping produced the worst lung capacity and expiratory flow. No surprise there! Normal sitting was better. Forward tilting sitting positions was even better and in some cases as good as standing posture in both lung capacity and flow.

How many of you sit majority of the day? Sitting in traffic? Sitting at work in the morning? Sitting at lunch? Sitting at work in the afternoon? Sitting in traffic…again? Sitting at dinner? Sitting watching tv?

Wow! That’s a lot of sitting! We’re talking about 8-12 hours per day of sitting. If you’re like most, your sitting position will fatigue and slouching forward is inevitable.

Here’s a few tips for improving your sitting posture and breathing:

1. Stretch – lengthen muscles that are shortened in the slouching sitting position. Don’t know which muscles to stretch? Ask your chiropractor at your next visit!

2. Stand up – take mini-standing breaks throughout the day at work. Stand for lunch. Stand at every tv commercial! And, take a big belly breath!

3. Seat wedge – a seat wedge positions your hips in a “neutral” position maintaining proper spinal curves, keeping your shoulders back, and allowing for maximal lung capacity.

4. Get adjusted – chiropractic adjustments correct spinal misalignments locking your spine in a slouching position. Get your chiropractic adjustment for better posture and breathe easier!