The Tortoise Effect
What is the Tortoise effect?
Watch how people are standing, driving and sitting at their desks. Their necks are thrust forward in an unnatural position. Causing their head (approx. 5kg of weight) to collapse forward, putting stress on the neck, shoulders and spine. Eventually the shoulders become rounded and neck permanently stays forward.
Most of our lives are spent in front of computers, on our cell phones or sitting for hours in the traffic.
We are exercising less and stressing more.
All of the above are so important when it comes to digestion.
Poor posture compresses the abdominal organs involved in digestion reducing peristaltic function. This leads to bloating, gas, acid reflux and constipation. Slouching restricts the diaphragm. This hinders the movement of food through the oesophagus and this results in burping and acid reflux. The vagus nerve runs from the brain stem, through the diaphragm, into the gut. If we squashing the diaphragm, by slumping or hunching, it affects the nerve signals that pass through it. The vagus nerve stimulates production of hydrochloric acid that affects how we break down food in the stomach. If this is impaired, the result is bloating, gas and constipation.
Symptoms related to bad posture includes:
- Incontinence
- Mood
- Sleep
- Arthritis (and increases osteoarthritis)
- Headaches
- Jaw alignment
- Shoulder and neck pain
- Fatigue
- Lower back pain
- Degeneration of the neck and spine.
- Thrombosis and varicose veins
Make the following changes to reverse the tortoise effect:
- Stretch for 10 min in the morning and evening
- Try to stand up during the day and stretch every 30 min for 1 minute
- Support your back and position your computer so you not slouching or dropping your head
- Pull in your stomach (also good for tightening the stomach muscles)
- Do not cross your legs and stand up straight when in queues
- Walk up straight
- Sleep on better pillows
- Eat small meals and chew like it’s the last meal you ever going to eat
- Exercise as much as you can, especially Yoga and Pilates
Become very aware of how you standing and sitting as your body and digestion depends on it!
