Jj is for Jottings 103.  Posture Affects Mood and Cognition.

How many times were you told as a child:  “Sit up straight. Don’t slouch.”  Or in my mother’s case, “You’ll get a dowager’s hump.”  As is so often the case, it would have been really good to heed the parental nagging.  Studies are now finding that bad posture is affecting both mood and cognition.  And bad posture is a frequent off-shoot of using smart phones and other technology.

STUDIES ON THE EFFECTS OF POSTURE.

Back in 1984 a study in USA found 58 % of teenage boys and 30 % of girls had spinal damage.  Now we have the new “tech-neck” generation who spend their lives peering into computer devices in a bent-over position.  So what exactly are the current studies telling us?

It’s not only the obvious head, neck and shoulder pain that’s caused by poor posture; it also reduces respiration, lowers energy and contributes to poor blood flow to the back of the brain.  One scientist’s research focuses on bad posture’s effect on mood and cognition.  Erik Peper is Professor of Holistic Health Studies in the Department of Health Education at San Francisco State University.  In 2004 he and his colleague published their first study in posture.

HOW POSTURE AFFECTS MOOD.

They asked 24 healthy men and women to generate positive and negative thoughts in either an upright or slumped position. Almost all of them reported it was easier to recall positive thoughts when sitting erect.

A later study involved 28 college students.  They found that recalling any thoughts -positive or negative – takes a great deal more effort in a slouched position.

In a much larger study of over 200 students, almost nine out of ten found it easier to recall negative memories in a slumped versus an upright posture.  This included memories of despair, vulnerability, powerlessness and defeat.  On the other hand, in an erect rather than a hunched position the numbers reversed.  Nine out of ten found it was easier to access positive and empowering images.

Other studies have confirmed these findings.  New Zealand psychologists reported that upright participants reported higher self-esteem, more arousal, better mood, and lower fear, compared with slumped participants.

POSTURE AND THE TWO MINUTE HORMONE CHANGE.

In another posture study, Harvard social psychologist Amy Cuddy and colleagues measured testosterone and cortisol.  Testosterone is related to dominance and assertiveness, and cortisol is the stress hormone.

After just two minutes, volunteers expressing high-power body postures experienced a 20% increase in testosterone and a 25% decrease in cortisol.  This compared with a 10% decrease in testosterone and a 15% increase in cortisol in those who folded up their bodies and made themselves look small.  For other effects of technology on brain chemicals, see here.

POSTURE AND COGNITION.

Cognition refers to the process of thinking. It is the identification of knowledge, of understanding it and perceiving it.  Professor Peper’s latest study recruited 125 university students to perform a mental maths test, and the results have just been published. The students found the test much more difficult while sitting in a slouched position than sitting erect. This was particularly the case for those who were the most anxious about the test before it started.  Co- author, Richard Harvey, said that maintaining a defensive posture can trigger old negative memories in the body and brain.

They concluded that posture makes a giant difference. The slumped-over position shuts people down and their brains do not work as well. They cannot think as clearly.  Sitting in a collapsed posture may project a submissive, defeated, or depressed individual. But people tend to adopt a slouched posture while looking down at digital screens.

The good news is that we do have a choice.  Awareness is the key.  We can consciously use an empowered position to optimise our focus when looking at screens.  In fact, at any time, not just when looking at screens.

HOW TO IMPROVE POSTURE (AND MOOD AND COGNITION).

“Chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in” are the key words for good posture.  When sitting, the bottom should be right at the back of the chair so the body is at a 90º angle. This realigns the pelvis in the correct position.

Many exercises can also correct a rounded posture by strengthening the muscles between the shoulder blades.

Another option is to have lessons in the Alexander Technique. This helps change faulty postural habits, improve mobility and relieve tension and stress.

Be vigilant at all times, especially when using a smart phone. Adjust posture as soon as a slouched position is noted.  You might even use that smart phone to help you develop a new habit.   You could set an alarm every half hour to remind you to check your posture.  After a while you will begin to remind yourself and no longer need external reminders.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF POSTURE’S EFFECTS ON MOOD.

If you give it some thought, you will find that your own experience supports the evidence in the studies above.  What happens when you receive bad news?  You sag, physically and mentally.  And when you receive good news?  You open up and straighten up, often with your hands and arms moving upwards and outwards.  You feel alert and bright.  As adults, we need to be aware of and correct these negative postural tendencies in ourselves and in our children, particularly where screens are involved.  Or, better still, send the children outside to play!  For assistance on how to manage children’s screen time, see here.  For some of my observations on the overall effects of screens on children, see here.

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