WEBVTT 00:00:01.419 --> 00:00:05.419 Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Daily Senior 00:00:05.419 --> 00:00:09.019 Safety Advice Podcast. I'm Esther Cain, a retired 00:00:09.019 --> 00:00:12.019 occupational therapist and a certified aging 00:00:12.019 --> 00:00:15.519 in place specialist. This is March. March is 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:19.100 Mobility and Independence Month. And today we're 00:00:19.100 --> 00:00:22.179 going to talk about the importance of good posture. 00:00:22.699 --> 00:00:26.320 And I know posture sounds like one of those things 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:28.620 that your mother used to nag you about, you know, 00:00:28.679 --> 00:00:32.000 sit up straight, don't slouch. but this isn't 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.619 about looking proper or rigid or uncomfortable 00:00:35.619 --> 00:00:40.060 in any way. It's about safety. It's about breathing, 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:43.539 and it's about balance, pain, and how your body 00:00:43.539 --> 00:00:46.799 feels moving throughout the day. And when I talk 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:49.899 about safety, I'm talking about fall risk safety. 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:52.979 All right, so here's the part that surprises 00:00:52.979 --> 00:00:57.320 a lot of people. Poor posture can quietly increase 00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:00.560 your fall risk. It can make walking harder. It 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:03.399 can even affect your digestion and your energy 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:06.959 level. So yeah, posture matters more than most 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:10.140 people realize. What I've noticed over the years 00:01:10.140 --> 00:01:13.480 is that posture doesn't usually get worse overnight. 00:01:13.939 --> 00:01:17.239 It changes slowly. A little more leaning forward, 00:01:17.420 --> 00:01:20.060 a little more rounding in the shoulders, a little 00:01:20.060 --> 00:01:23.079 more stiffness in the neck and the back. and 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:25.900 people often don't notice it until something 00:01:25.900 --> 00:01:30.000 starts to hurt, or your balance feels off, or 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:32.780 standing up from a chair suddenly feels harder. 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:37.120 And here's where this really connects. Your posture 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:40.260 affects how your weight moves through your body. 00:01:40.700 --> 00:01:43.859 If your head is forward, your center of gravity 00:01:43.859 --> 00:01:47.780 shifts, and that makes balance trickier. I see 00:01:47.780 --> 00:01:51.140 this all the time with seniors who feel unsteady 00:01:51.140 --> 00:01:55.560 but can't quite explain why. So let's just picture 00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:58.640 this together for a second. When you're sitting 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:03.239 or standing, your ears, shoulders, and hips should 00:02:03.239 --> 00:02:07.219 more or less line up. Not perfectly, not stiff, 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:10.680 you're not a robot, but just stacked comfortably. 00:02:11.379 --> 00:02:15.120 When the head drifts forward even a little, The 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:18.180 neck and the upper back have to work much harder. 00:02:18.620 --> 00:02:22.340 That leads to fatigue. It leads to tension and 00:02:22.340 --> 00:02:25.800 that heavy, achy feeling that you get by midday. 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:28.979 And honestly, this is something that families 00:02:28.979 --> 00:02:34.719 don't always connect to safety. Now, good posture 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:38.300 also helps you to breathe better. When the chest 00:02:38.300 --> 00:02:42.360 is open, the lungs have more room. and breathing 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:46.159 becomes easier and deeper. And better breathing 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:49.719 means better oxygen to the brain, which affects 00:02:49.719 --> 00:02:52.599 your focus, your reaction time, your steadiness. 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:56.919 That's a really big deal. Now let's talk about 00:02:56.919 --> 00:03:00.039 sitting, because that's where posture slips the 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:03.020 most. At least I know that that's where it happens 00:03:03.020 --> 00:03:08.080 to me. Couches, recliners, kitchen chairs, office 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:11.800 chair. When someone sinks back with the pelvis 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:15.919 rolled under, the spine naturally rounds. Your 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:19.419 neck juts forward to see the TV and shoulders 00:03:19.419 --> 00:03:22.840 collapse inward. And after a while, the body 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:26.500 starts to think that that's normal. Then when 00:03:26.500 --> 00:03:29.879 it's time to stand up, everything feels tight 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:33.620 and awkward and that first step feels really 00:03:33.620 --> 00:03:38.020 unsteady. I've seen so many near falls happen 00:03:38.020 --> 00:03:42.419 right then and there. So a simple shift can really 00:03:42.419 --> 00:03:46.280 help. Sit with your feet flat on the floor, scoot 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:49.099 your bottom back in the chair a little, and let 00:03:49.099 --> 00:03:52.840 your back rest against the chair instead of hovering 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:55.979 in front of it. You don't need to sit ramrod 00:03:55.979 --> 00:03:59.159 straight, just support it. And if the chair doesn't 00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:02.300 give you good support, maybe even a small pillow 00:04:02.300 --> 00:04:05.139 behind your lower back can help, like a lumbar 00:04:05.139 --> 00:04:09.560 pillow. Now, standing posture matters too, especially 00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:12.939 when waiting in line or standing at the sink 00:04:12.939 --> 00:04:17.180 washing dishes. Try this thought. Imagine a string 00:04:17.180 --> 00:04:20.839 gently lifting the top of your head. Not pulling, 00:04:21.139 --> 00:04:25.189 just lifting. Let your shoulders relax down instead 00:04:25.189 --> 00:04:28.329 of creeping up, and let your chest open up a 00:04:28.329 --> 00:04:32.269 bit. This alone can reduce your neck and shoulder 00:04:32.269 --> 00:04:35.050 pain, and it helps your weight stay centered 00:04:35.050 --> 00:04:38.810 over your feet, which brings me back to balance 00:04:38.810 --> 00:04:43.509 again. When posture improves, balance often improves 00:04:43.509 --> 00:04:49.050 right along with it. I've seen people feel steadier 00:04:49.050 --> 00:04:51.970 without doing a single balance exercise just 00:04:51.970 --> 00:04:55.009 by changing how they hold themselves, by changing 00:04:55.009 --> 00:04:59.029 their posture. Now, let's talk about walking 00:04:59.029 --> 00:05:02.589 and walking posture because this one really affects 00:05:02.589 --> 00:05:07.069 your confidence. If your head is down and your 00:05:07.069 --> 00:05:10.050 shoulders are rounded when you're walking, then 00:05:10.050 --> 00:05:14.009 your steps naturally get shorter and your feet 00:05:14.009 --> 00:05:17.860 don't clear the ground or the floor as well. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:22.939 Therefore, the risk of tripping goes up. So looking 00:05:22.939 --> 00:05:27.779 ahead, chest open, arms swinging naturally, that 00:05:27.779 --> 00:05:31.360 helps the whole walking pattern smooth out. So 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:34.079 I want you to practice that. Next time you go 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:37.699 for a walk, notice, are you bending down? Is 00:05:37.699 --> 00:05:39.740 your head down a little bit? Are your shoulders 00:05:39.740 --> 00:05:44.240 slouched a little bit? Look ahead. Open up your 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:46.970 chest. and swing your arms naturally. It's going 00:05:46.970 --> 00:05:49.290 to feel weird at first if you haven't done it 00:05:49.290 --> 00:05:52.290 for a while, but practice it and practice it 00:05:52.290 --> 00:05:55.649 and it will improve your walking. And here's 00:05:55.649 --> 00:05:59.050 something I always share. Good posture doesn't 00:05:59.050 --> 00:06:01.449 mean that you're never going to have any back 00:06:01.449 --> 00:06:04.970 pain or shoulder pain or neck pain ever, but 00:06:04.970 --> 00:06:09.069 it often means less pain over time, especially 00:06:09.069 --> 00:06:11.629 as I said in the neck, shoulders, and your lower 00:06:11.629 --> 00:06:15.399 back. Posture isn't about perfection, it's about 00:06:15.399 --> 00:06:18.879 awareness. You notice it, you adjust gently, 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:22.579 then you move on. No scolding yourself, no forcing 00:06:22.579 --> 00:06:25.720 anything. And if you're caring for someone else, 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:28.939 that matters for you too, because caregivers 00:06:28.939 --> 00:06:32.259 often hunch without realizing it. They're leaning 00:06:32.259 --> 00:06:34.920 forward, they're rushing, they're holding tension 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:38.339 in their body, and that can easily take a toll. 00:06:39.019 --> 00:06:41.579 So checking your posture throughout the day, 00:06:41.740 --> 00:06:46.399 is an act of self -care. And honestly, good posture 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:49.740 sends great message to the brain. It says, I'm 00:06:49.740 --> 00:06:52.500 stable, I'm supported, I'm safe, and I'm caring 00:06:52.500 --> 00:06:55.879 for myself. That calm signal matters more than 00:06:55.879 --> 00:06:59.939 people realize. So start small. One chair, one 00:06:59.939 --> 00:07:03.300 mirror check, one gentle rest at a time, and 00:07:03.300 --> 00:07:06.759 over time, it really does add up. Well, that's 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:09.060 all I have for you today, and I want to thank 00:07:09.060 --> 00:07:12.029 you again for being here with me. If today's 00:07:12.029 --> 00:07:14.750 episode gave you some useful insights or new 00:07:14.750 --> 00:07:17.189 ideas, then please share it with someone who 00:07:17.189 --> 00:07:20.189 might find it helpful as well. You can discover 00:07:20.189 --> 00:07:23.610 even more expert tips and helpful guides for 00:07:23.610 --> 00:07:26.629 seniors and caregivers at seniorsafetyadvice 00:07:26.629 --> 00:07:31.170 .com. My phone. And hey, if you're searching 00:07:31.170 --> 00:07:33.189 for an aging in place specialist, then visit 00:07:33.189 --> 00:07:36.649 our website at aginginplacedirectory .com and 00:07:36.649 --> 00:07:39.769 come back tomorrow for more useful tips, insights, 00:07:39.850 --> 00:07:43.040 and ideas. right here on the Senior Safety Advice 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:46.079 Podcast. And hey, if you haven't yet subscribed 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:49.019 to our YouTube channel or the podcast yet, then 00:07:49.019 --> 00:07:52.019 please go ahead and do that right now. That really 00:07:52.019 --> 00:07:54.779 helps us to reach more people who could use this 00:07:54.779 --> 00:07:57.800 kind of support and information. So until next 00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:00.540 time, take care of yourself and the ones that 00:08:00.540 --> 00:08:00.959 you love.