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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 1, 2023 01:42 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Carolyn T. Comitta |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | May as Correct Posture Month in PA |
| In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution declaring May 2023 as “Correct Posture Month” in Pennsylvania. Why is good posture so important to health and development? Correct posture is vital to neurologic function, health, wellness, mobility, mood, and overall quality of life. The proper alignment of your body when standing or sitting can ease the strain and tension on supportive structures, such as your muscles and ligaments while sending proper stimulating signals to different parts of the brain resulting in emotional and functional growth. While there is rarely “perfect posture,” experts have noted an increase in posture issues facing the general population in recent years. Beginning in 2019 and continuing through the pandemic with increased reliance on technology, remote school and remote work environments, “slumping” or “slouching” is now regularly observed in children, teenagers, and young adults at an alarming rate. The human brain experiences stress due to poor posture and while technology continues to increase in the home and workplace, the human brain development is now declining due to sedentary lifestyles and lack of upright balanced postures. Posture ergonomics (aka Neuroergonomics) is a growing field of research and training methods that focuses on the working relationship between people and technology to improve productivity and human performance in school and the workplace. The Journal for Harvard Medical School also explained how the pandemic negatively affected the posture of Americans, specifically those who work at home. Dr. David Binder stated, “We have seen increased complaints of neck and lower back pain in the last year, often in the context of sitting for extended periods with increased work at home.” The rapid switch to working from home full time had a detrimental impact on posture as employees adapted to working on laptops, coffee tables, couches, and beds instead of an appropriate ergonomic desk and monitor workstation. Compromised postures at the new “home workstation” resulted in abnormal postures resulting in employees with poor performance suffering from hormonal imbalance, abnormal breathing, and heart rate. While posture is the result of habits formed over the years, it can be corrected through regular practice. And bringing awareness to correct posture is pertinent and valuable. The purpose of instituting May 2023 as “Correct Posture Month” is to highlight the practices Pennsylvanians can follow to improve their overall health and remind them that correct posture is vital to so many areas of health and wellness, including projecting confidence, strength, and positivity. Please join us in co-sponsoring this valuable resolution and remember this for yourself and those around you: take frequent breaks from sitting, stand up straight and tall with your shoulders back, and keep your head level and in line with your body. |