The Connection Between Posture and Athletic Performance: Tips from Our Sports Chiropractor
The Importance of Good Posture for Optimized Athletic Performance
At some point, you’ve likely been told — or told someone else — to stand up straight! Good posture is not only way more attractive than sitting, walking, and standing in a hunched-over position, it is much better for body function and overall health.
Believe it or not, the quality of your posture can affect your chances of dealing with a number of actual physical problems like back and neck pain, headaches, fatigue, poor circulation, and reduced respiratory function, to name a few.
If you practice poor posture on a daily, it’s not likely things will change when training or competing in sports, and this could dramatically compromise your performance. Good posture offers a number of physiological and bio-mechanical benefits to athletes:
Fewer Injuries
If your back and neck are already hurting from slouching in front of your desk for hours, that pain and stiffness will inevitably be incorporated into your training day. Lifting weights with bad form or running drills with lower back pain increases your risk of serious injury during training. A properly aligned spine provides a stronger foundation for the specialized moves of athletic training and performance, as well as the muscular and skeletal balance necessary to protect the body from injury.
Less Pain
A properly aligned spine is meant to support your body’s weight against gravity and distribute forces proportionately throughout the musculoskeletal system. Poor posture can place undue stress on smaller muscle groups that were never meant to carry it, causing soreness, tightness, pain, and strain over time.
Better Respiratory Function
When the torso is hunched, extra pressure is placed on the lungs and diaphragm making it harder to breathe deeply - especially under exertion. All types of body mechanics can be compromised as the body prioritizes getting air over-optimizing speed and strength. Improved posture allows the body to move more efficiently and conserve energy for when it’s really needed.
Better Mobility
Poor posture can shift the center of gravity for an individual causing the major joints of the body to have to compensate. Over time this can affect range of motion and lead to altered mechanics in the shoulders, hips, and knees. When poor posture is corrected, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles are free to move with ease, and the range of motion is increased.
Even if good posture is a priority, it can only be truly achieved if the spine is properly aligned, which is particularly important for athletes who put their bodies through a lot in an attempt to achieve their personal training goals.
Taking steps to correct postural issues by incorporating sports chiropractic care into your training program can help you optimize your athletic performance and realize more results from the work you put in.
Contact DTX Sports Medicine today for a posture and gait evaluation to see how correcting alignment issues can help you achieve your training goals.
