Poor Posture

Does anyone else here have bad posture? I know I do for sure... I've been trying to make a conscious effort to correct myself when I am slouching or not standing straight but I attribute a lot of it to spending the last 8 years hunched over on the toilet. I mean really, have you ever tried to sit up completely straight while you're going to the bathroom, especially with the cramps and whatnot... It doesn't really help things move along well.

Just curious.

Funny you should mention that. I just recently developed UC within the last year, and I feel like my posture has gotten terrible. Seems my colon is more "comfortable" when I'm not stretched (sitting up straight).

No, I don't have bad posture...but I do have back/shoulder/neck/elbow/wrist/.... problems. I do hairdressing and intrepreted (sign language) for many years...my posture has always been good..just not the strongest body (working on it).

Poor posture could be because of weak bones from pred use????

quincy

OMG what a post to hit home today for me. I had to have a cyst removed from my back right in between my shoulder blades along my spine yesterday. Since I can't take the ibuprofen he'd like me to take he warned me that it would be "tender" today (mild understatement). So there I am waking up early just like every other morning to stumble to the bathroom and go through the morning cramp session (not bad just not a fun way to wake up) and I started to hunch over as usual in my sleepy stupor. . .. BAM it's like my back was on fire! I nearly jumped off the toilet! As soon as I hunch it pulls the incision. As soon as I sat up straight with my shoulders back it relieved the pressure on the incision but my bowels got annoyed. . . . I honestly sat there laughing at the irony that one position caused one pain and the other position cause the other pain. . .at that point I just decided to let my bowels get their annoyance over and relieve the back pain.

Fun thing is every time I start to hunch just a little bit at my desk or when walking I get that stinging reminder to straighten up and keep my shoulders back today. Who knows, maybe this proceedure will improve my posture over all LOL!

I have terrible posture...and since this whole UC thing started over a year ago my posture is even worse. I have had a headache for the past week, it's from my neck. It's painful for me to sit straight but off to see a orthopedic consultant in September as I'm fed up being hunched over. Most of my life I have put things on the long finger when it came to taking care of myself. Developing UC put an end to that for me. Got the fright of my life. I swore if I got so much as a blister I was going to complain about it!! LOL!!

I've had bad posture all my life.  Yoga has helped me the past few years enormously.  I still have bad posture but now I become aware of it and correct it more frequently.   

Interesting that you brought this up, because yesterday a yoga teacher told me that we have many back problems and we would be easier on our digestive systems if we held our abdomens in the "bowl" of the pelvis.  Most people, including me most of the time, let our abs just hang out, and the force of gravity on the abs, internal organs, and back are harmful. 

Made sense to me. 

It's the first time I'd heard it from a yoga teacher, too.  She's a new teacher for me, and I mentioned that I had UC and was flaring to her right before class.

Essentially, I think she meant that if we tilt the pelvis forward, and use the lower abs a little, the internal organs will fit more naturally in the pelvis.  If I think about standing straighter, my natural inclination is to pull my shoulders and butt back, with my stomach kind of sticking out in front.  I think that's the opposite of what she was saying to do, at least for the butt and stomach.  The butt should be more forward and in line with the rest of the body so the colon, etc., will sit naturally in the pelvic cavity.   The abs gently hold the organs in so they will be better protected from gravity. 

Does that make more sense?  I think she used the term "bowl" as a description, not as a yoga term.  She had us do a lot of lower back strenthening, as well, which helps with the abs.   

I believe she is an ivengar teacher, and my usual teacher does hatha yoga.  If I get any more tips I'll try to pass them on. 

I compare the need to slouch with having PMS cramps. When they're bad, I want to curl up in a ball so that my insides aren't stretched or moving too much (to avoid cramping). And when you do sit up straight, you have to use your abdominal muscles which can cause cramping.

For me to say I have the best posture would be wrong. But for me a long walk around the city helps me. I think it also relaxes me. Yep yep yep. As long as I stood up straight I think I am fine.