Artists and architects have tried to measure attractiveness in terms of mathematical proportions. Science tells us that symmetry plays a vital role in our perceptions of attractiveness and perhaps this is because symmetry implies we are healthy.
Post updated September, 201
The position of your body (your posture) affects the position of your spine. Symmetry is crucial to good posture. When your body alignment begins to stray from our symmetrical ideal, there are uneven loads placed on your body. These stresses and strains can lead to pain, muscle strain, arthritis, ill-health and an unattractive appearance.
Symmetry
Good symmetry (good posture) allows your body tissues to respond well to stress from gravity and other daily activities. When you lose this symmetrical balance (bad posture), the stresses and strains lead to spinal degeneration, poor health and lost confidence.
Here are three of the most unattractive postures and what you should do to avoid them:
Forward Head
Forward head posture is a problem associated with lifestyle and particularly, our desk-based mobile lives. If you jut your chin forward as far as you can and then try to take a deep breath in, you will find it very difficult.
It is very hard to breathe maximally with your head forward, and this forward head position reduced your vital lung capacity – your ability to take in oxygen. Over time, forward head posture causes neck pain, headaches, brain fog and for some, chronic fatigue.
If you suspect you have forward head posture, you might benefit from having having a Posture Analysis and learning to perform a basic chin tuck.
Slouching
Slouching posture, aka iposture is all about habit and lifestyle – the bags we carry, the hours we spend sitting, our office ergonomics, video games and social media. Perhaps this is why standing desks are trending big time!
Slouching is often the direct result of prolonged sitting and as Martha Grogan, cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, warns: Sitting is the new smoking!
For me, a daily dose of Posturecise is the answer. Not into daily routines? Well you really need to be, because studies on sitting are beginning to show us that sitting more than 11 hours a day, increases risk of dying by 40% – Yikes!
Neck hump
I see a lot of this type of posture. The neck hump is the fatty lump of tissue found over the vertebrae located at the base of the neck. It is usually associated with feelings of self-consciousness, as the hump is often noticeable to others.
The causes of neck hump include trauma – particularly car accidents resulting in a reversed neck curve – obesity, some medications, hormones and forward head posture.
If you have a noticeable fatty neck hump, you should really make an appointment to see your healthcare provider and/or contact the Posture Doctor.
I have found the majority of neck hump that I have seen in private practice, are due to past traumas. When neck x-rays are available, the diagnosis becomes clear – often a reversed neck curve.
Don’t be afraid to ask for an x-ray. If you do have a reversed neck curve, you need to know! Unless you rehabilitate the underlying structural alignment, the neck hump will never go away.
Further Resources: Neck Hump – Get rid of the fat at the top of your back
Your health and body posture speak volumes about you. How symmetrical you are has been shown to affect perceived attractiveness. Not only do you look more attractive with upright posture but you feel more attractive.
It is never too late to start improving your posture but the longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to make a significant change.
Don’t wait – start today!
