Sit Up Straight, It Will Make You Stronger

You might not be ready to embrace the formal habits of yesteryear, but the nagging of older generations to ‘stand up tall’ or ‘sit straight’ may be worth listening to, according to a recent study. Published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, the research involved a study of several participants and the findings surprised some.

It seems to be human nature to ‘curl up’ when feeling ill or suffering from pain. However, there is new evidence that points to the fact that holding a straight posture can actually alleviate more of the discomfort than would be dealt with otherwise. The same is true when undergoing difficult of painful procedures. With shoulders back and core engaged, participants were better able to withstand hurt. To learn more about other self-care methods for preventing or lessening pain, visit us.

Whether this is a result of the actual physical alignment or simply because of the fact that it makes the person feel more self-assured and mentally stable to sit or stand in such a way is unknown. However, this does give a person reason to reconsider his or her reaction to pain triggers. It should also serve as a reminder to parents and guardians to encourage children to stand tall in the face of discomfort. ‘Babying’ may cause the kids to develop a submissive reaction to pain in the future, thereby adding to the agony. Taking dominant stances in those troubling times can allow them to more easily overcome them.

The findings of this study are fully outlined in a piece entitled ‘It Hurts When I Do This (Or You Do That).’ You can also find more information at http://www.sciencedaily.com