It is easier to observe “poor” posture in others because we are unlikely to be aware of our own habitual body positions.  When you see someone bent over with severely rounded shoulders, or with one shoulder higher than the other, you are probably observing a condition that has developed over a period of years.  Postural problems can be due to hereditary or can be disease related, but most often they are habitual in nature.

Identifying the factors that contribute to these postural imbalances may help you see which areas need to be addressed and changed.  Be aware of occupational influences, such as how you sit at work, and how you hold your body during recreational activities. Other influences to consider are texting, carrying a purse, wearing a back pack and a multitude of other actions that we do daily, that may affect the posture.

If you think of your body structurally with your feet as the foundation, the rest of your posture is balanced on top of the foundation.  In another example, a building that loses its stability can begin to shift. As this is happening, the walls show stress through cracking and in time the dwelling becomes unstable and then inhabitable.  This may also occur with the structure of the human body. The posture will usually deform in forward direction from the effects of gravity, which may “speed up” the aging process. This also may cause age related diseases of the spine, such as osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease.