How the Modern Slouching Epidemic Began

In the 18th century, proper posture was essential to everyday social situations. From elegant tea time to scandalous balls, proper posture was astutely examined. It meant the difference between being an eligible bachelor or bachelorette to being an unlucky old-maid. Proper posture was the show of confidence, intelligence, physical attractiveness, and self-control.

In the 18th century, people valued proper posture, so much so that women wore corsets to hold their bodies upright!

I can’t help but completely agree with those 18th-century dwellers. Proper posture is hot! Except, I am glad society has evolved past the corset stage.

When did that all end? When did it become acceptable to slouch?

With the end of the Victorian era and the introduction of the modern era, slouching became a new reality. In the 20th century, people began to reject, what they saw as ‘old fashioned’ values and morals. Slouching became a form of rebellion against Victorian societal constrictions. Clothing became less restrictive and women moved from corsets and tight petticoats to more comfortable clothes.

Life soon became about pleasure and indulgence, as we moved into a new reality defined by consumerism. The new relaxed and comfortable clothes and furniture permitted a slouching lifestyle. And so, slouching was embraced as a cultural norm.

Today, with screens (laptops, iPhones, TVs, etc) popping up wherever we look, bad posture is no longer an act of rebelling against uptight norms, but rather a modern epidemic, causing serious back discomfort and long-term side effects. We even see today that the average, middle-aged man working in an office, spends more time sedentary than men over the age of 75, according to a recent study.

Our days are marked by endless slouching from one screen to the next. We go from hunching over our laptop at work for 8 hours to slouching over our smartphone screens, scrolling through our Facebook news feed or in my case, answering the latest Buzzfeed quizzes.

Poor posture provokes back pain. I recently came across an article in Spine Health that I found very relevant and informative.

It stated: “You may not feel any ill-effects after sitting with poor posture for a few hours, but over time the stress that poor posture places on your spine can lead to anatomical changes in your spine. This, in turn, can provoke back pain through the constriction of your blood vessels and nerves. In addition, the stress from poor posture can lead to back pain by causing problems with your muscles, discs, and joints.”

Sure, not all back pain is caused by poor posture, but because of our modern social acceptance of the “text neck” and “screen sloucher” back discomfort has become a part of work life. It has even become an accepted part of our nine-to-five daily routine.

This needs to stop. Please, for our own good. Let’s not bring back the corsets, but let’s bring back the value in proper posture. Let’s build good posture habits and get rid of the discomfort. Your UPRIGHT posture wearable can only help.

Remember, proper posture is hot.

Main Photo Credit: Today’s Jane – blogger