From board meetings to bunko groups, there's a lot of tension these days-as in neck and back tension. "Our necks and backs hurt, and poor posture is the No. 1 culprit," says Janice Novak, M.S., author of the book, Posture, Get it Straight! (Perigee Trade, 1999).
When you hunch forward, your body isn't properly aligned. "Not only does poor posture look bad, but it forces some muscles to work incredibly hard all day long while others get weaker," Novak says. Poor posture can put you in other slumps, too. "When you slouch, you're pressing down on your internal organs, which affects digestion," Novak says, adding that circulation and breathing capacity can take a hit too.
Unlike other bad habits, poor posture can be relaxing to correct. Why? Because massage can help get your body back on track. Allowing the body to reinforce healthy and natural movements can be one of the most beneficial aspects of massage therapy.
Massage can relax and loosen the muscles made sore by bad posture, allowing your body to position itself in its natural-and pain-free-posture.
With ongoing massage the muscles are loosened and relaxed-joints have greater freedom and pressure points are relieved. This allows the body to position itself in a healthy and natural posture, therefore avoiding the movements and positions developed over time as a reaction to the pain. If ongoing massage is of interest to you, please visit our Massage Envy membership page.
Benefits of Improved Posture
- Muscles are loosened and relaxed
- Joints enjoy greater freedom
- Pressure points are relieved