Is Your Body Posture Affecting Your Skin?
Changes in our bodies appear on our skin as we live our lives – stretch marks appear when our bodies grow, melasma can show up during pregnancy, and if you're happy or in love, your skin might flush. The skin is the largest organ in the human body and it records and shows signs of the lives we live.
While posture feels like one of the last things that might affect your skin, it's not an unfair question to ask: Can bad posture affect the look of your skin? Harvard Health Publishing explains that good posture is important because it helps you with your balance, so when you have good posture it means you're distributing your weight between your feet properly. Good balance is key to getting the most out of your workouts and avoiding injury.
So we know good posture looks good and feels good, but what does it have to do with your skin? It turns out that there might be a solid link between your skin and your posture.
How your posture affects your skin
In an interview for MBG Lifestyle, skincare specialist and Face Yoga Method founder Fumiko Takatsu shared that she's paying extra close attention to her posture, especially as she ages. We lose muscle mass as we age and Takatsu says that as a result, "our shoulders come up, and our jaw moves forward." In turn, we hold our faces differently and this added stress can contribute to puffiness and loss of definition. How does your posture show up on your face? Takatsu explains that bad posture affects your facial alignment and can show up as puffiness and re-shape our jawline.
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Pete McCall told Real Simple that the "ideal posture is [having your] spine straight, neck straight (not leaning forward), shoulders level over your hips, a relatively level pelvis, and neutral knees (not collapsing in or splayed out)."
Good posture ensures your whole body is doing the work of holding your position, otherwise you're likely to overwork certain joints and muscles to compensate.
How to improve your skin through posture
So, Fumiko Takatsu told MBG Lifestyle she recommends exercises that strengthen your core to help improve your posture. A strong core is better able to hold your body up without over-straining. Takatsu is a big fan of yoga to help relax the face and recenter your posture: "[...] I can feel my alignment, I can feel my fascia, and I have a passionate conversation with my body." A consistent yoga practice, doesn't just help you maintain a defined face, it's also known to help you relax and relieve body pain.
Her Face Yoga Method — which could be compared to eye yoga – applies this principle in a broader way, as well. According to Takatsu's website, she realized that, "if I exercise my body muscles, I should be able to do the same for my face." This is a different way of thinking about an inside-out approach to skincare, one where your core muscles can affect your face.