The
Posture Theory And Education
Many teachers are interested in the future
health of their students, and are aware of the importance of
good posture, but find it difficult, if not impossible, to convince
their students to sit correctly.
It is therefore necessary to understand
why some children slouch, and what sort of persuasive information
is likely to be effective.
Disease such as rickets soften the bones
of many babies who then sag under the weight of their own body
and sometimes develop mild spinal curvatures which persist. However
any prolonged disease, especially one which produces a loss of
apetite, or any period of starvation or poor nutrition during
childhood can weaken their bones and have a similar effect.
Similarly if the child spends every night
sleeping in a bed which is flat and soft the bones of their spine
will take on their proper shape, but if they spend 8 hours each
night sleeping in a spring mesh bed or a hammock their spine
will take on the shape of a C-curve, especially if their bones
have also been weakened and made malleable by disease.
A few years later when these children start
attending school and try to sit upright they are therefore trying
to straighten their bent spinal bones with their spinal muscles
which soon become fatigued and uncomfortable, so the student
gives up and slouches.
These students need to have flat, well
cushioned bedding which will contribute to the process of straightening
their bones while they are still malleable, and they will need
to be provided with ergonomically designed chairs and desks to
assist in the prevention of any further deformity.
Other factors which contribute to poor
posture are poor eyesight which induces a student to lean close
to their desk to see the text in their books, and tallness, where
the child has to stoop down to do his bookwork. These problems
can be prevented by providing spectacles where necessary, and
by providing seating and desks which are appropriate for the
students size.
Another important problem to consider,
is the fact that students only see themselves when they look
in the mirror, so they only see the front view, where a slouched
spine is not apparent. Therefore they can be asked specifically
to look at themselves in the mirror sideways. They should also
be shown how to recognise clues to poor posture, such as the
sloping effect it has on the shoulders, and they can be informed
about the uneven height of shoulders, or the sliding of their
collar to one side of their neck which give evidence of sideways
curvatures of the spine which would otherwise not be perceived.
Students will also need to be told, in
a convincing way, of the harmful effects of poor posture, so
that they cooperate with suggestions to improve their posture.
For example, they need to be made aware of the fact that poor
posture in childhood results in spinal deformity and other health
problems in adulthood, and that it is much easier to prevent
these than trying to treat them later. In this regard photos
of deformed spines, and diagrams of the internal anatomy being
crushed under a stooped back would be useful.
The promotion of good posture and the importance
of correcting bad posture were important aspects of education
according to Alexander Leeper who was an advocate of The Alexander
Technique which was devised by Frederick Matthias Alexander about
100 years ago. Alexander Leeper was also the principal of The
Trinity College of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, which he
developed as a role model for other colleges associated with
Melbourne University, and he was chairman of a Committee on Physical
Culture for the Victorian Teachers and School Registrations Board,
and he recommended the teaching of The Alexander technique as
being a compulsory part of school curriculums. His advocacy was
based on the benefits of the technique on his own health but
his recommendation was not implemented.
The Age-old Dispute About Posture And
Health
For generation after generation the importance
of the relationship between posture and health has been in dispute.
Some parents have been telling
their children stop leaning on their elbows at the meal table,
while others have said 'stop nagging the children . . . if they
want to slouch, let them slouch.'
At school many teachers have told their
students to 'sit up straight and pay attention', while others
have argued that children should be allowed to sit in any way
that is natural for them, rather than being forced to adopt 'a
standard postural mould'.
Some army administrators have argued that
soldiers with good posture have good character, temperament,
courage and endurance, and have impelled their sergeants to train
new recruits to stand tall, 'with their stomachs drawn in, their
chests thrown out, and their heads held high.'
In the nineteenth century some doctors
were arguing that slouching compressed the internal organs and
caused many ailments, whereas others were arguing that as soon
as the patient sat up straight again the internal organs would
simply spring back to their normal position with no ill effect.
The Posture Theory began as a way of explaining
that poor posture was indeed a cause of many aches and pains,
but now as a book in its 11th edition there is an additional
objective of bringing this dispute to an end. With a thousand
pages of evidence to support the theme there can no longer be
any doubt that the development and maintenance of good posture
in childhood and adulthood is essential for good health.
Prevention of posture and health problems
The most important thing that parents and teachers can do for the future health of their children . . .
is to ensure that they develop properly shaped spines, broad chests, and forward angled breastbones, because this will provide them with a large chest space in which the heart, lungs, and stomach can function freely and at peak efficiency, and that will more likely result in a healthy life in adulthood. By contrast if the child is allowed to develop a stooped spine, a narrow chest, and a vertical breastbone, the ribcage will be small, and the heart, lungs, and stomach will be crowded and impeded in their function, and this will more likely lead to sickness in adulthood. M.B.
Some quotes from history
Plato's men were "broad
shouldered, full, square, and somewhat strong, and mighty men"
Reference: Anthropometamorphosis (1650), p. 281
"Mens sana in corpore sano"
was the motto of the ancient Greeks; and the experience of everyday
shows that the person with strong muscles and good digestion,
with fair intellectual abilities, is the one who wins the goal
in the strife for wealth and fame and all that men seek after,
and the same is also true of women.
'A sound mind in a sound body' is as necessary for assured success
in life in the nineteenth century as when the sentiment was first
inscribed upon the gates of the temples in ancient Greece."
From: The Ladies Guide (1904) p. 236
"The Doctor of the future
will give no medicine,
but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame,
in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."
Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)
For
More Information
For more general
information about posture: http://www.covellichiro.com/
For improving posture: The Alexander Technique http://www.alexander
technique.com (this website provides links to many other
sites dealing with the subject of posture and health).
Feedback
If you have any comments on this webpage please send them to posture@chariot.net.au
