Can Poor Posture Affect Breathing and Energy Levels?

In this episode, Dr. Paul Rieselman of Northstar Integrated Health & Physical Medicine Center explores how posture affects far more than appearance. He breaks down the surprising link between the way you hold your body and how efficiently your lungs can function throughout the day. Poor posture can compress the diaphragm and ribcage, limiting oxygen intake and leaving you feeling fatigued even without much physical activity. Dr. Rieselman offers practical insights into how improving your posture can lead to better breathing, more energy, and improved overall health. If you have ever felt inexplicably tired or short of breath, this episode may reveal a root cause you never considered.

Hey there, and welcome back. I’m Doctor Paul, and you’re listening to the Northstar Integrated Health and Physical Medicine Center podcast, coming to you from right here in Lisle, Illinois. Today we’re talking about something that I think is going to surprise a lot of you. We’re talking about posture. But not in the way your mom used to remind you to sit up straight. We’re going to talk about how the way you hold your body can actually affect how well you breathe, and how much energy you have throughout the day. Stick with me on this one, because it connects a lot of dots.

So here’s the question I want you to sit with for a second. Have you ever noticed that by the middle of the afternoon, you feel exhausted, a little foggy, maybe even short of breath, and you haven’t really done anything physically demanding? A lot of people chalk that up to bad sleep, or too much screen time, or just getting older. And those things matter. But posture is often the hidden piece of the puzzle that nobody is talking about.

Here’s what’s interesting. When you spend hours sitting with your head forward, your shoulders rounded, and your upper back hunched over, something very specific happens to your chest and your ribcage. The muscles across your chest get tight. The muscles between your ribs, the ones that help your ribcage expand when you breathe, they stop doing their job as well. Your diaphragm, which is the big dome-shaped muscle under your lungs that does most of the work of breathing, it gets compressed. It gets pushed into a position where it just can’t move as freely as it should.

Now here’s the thing. When your diaphragm is restricted, your body doesn’t get the full breath it needs. Instead of taking deep, full breaths, you start taking shallow breaths from the top of your chest. And shallow breathing means less oxygen getting into your system. Less oxygen means your body has to work harder to do everything. And that, right there, is why you feel tired and foggy even when you haven’t done much.

Let me break this down a little more. Your nervous system is closely tied to your breathing patterns. When you’re breathing shallow and fast, even just a little bit, your nervous system reads that as a low level stress signal. It keeps your body in a kind of alert mode. That constant low level tension burns energy, tightens muscles, and makes it hard to feel calm and focused. So poor posture doesn’t just affect your spine. It can affect your mood, your concentration, and your overall sense of wellbeing throughout the day.

Now, what can you start doing today? First, take a few moments every hour to check in with your body. Notice where your head is sitting. If your ears are in front of your shoulders, that’s a sign your head is too far forward. Gently tuck your chin back and lift the top of your head toward the ceiling. Second, practice taking slower, deeper breaths intentionally. Breathe in through your nose, let your belly expand first, then your chest. Do that a few times throughout the day. It resets your nervous system and reminds your diaphragm to do its job. Third, get up and move. Even a two minute walk around the room can break the cycle of compression that builds up from sitting.

These are small things, but they add up in a big way over time.

Now, if you’ve been dealing with low energy, frequent tension headaches, neck pain, or you just feel like you can’t take a full deep breath, I really do encourage you to come in and get evaluated. Sometimes what’s happening in your spine, especially in the mid back and neck region, is directly affecting your posture and your breathing mechanics. Chiropractic care can help restore better movement and alignment so your body can function the way it’s designed to. We also look at the whole picture at Northstar, so we can put together a plan that actually fits your life.

You don’t have to feel tired and achy all the time. A lot of what people accept as normal is actually something we can work on together.

Thank you so much for tuning in today. I’m Doctor Paul at Northstar Integrated Health and Physical Medicine Center in Lisle, Illinois. If any of this resonated with you, give us a call or stop by. We’d love to see you. Take care of yourselves, and we’ll talk again soon.