Or scolded you for slouching at a family dinner?

或因你懶散坐著跟家人晚餐而罵你？

Comments like that might be annoying, but they're not wrong.

這些意見也許很討厭，但他們沒有做錯。

Your posture, the way you hold your body when you're sitting or standing, is the foundation for every movement your body makes, and can determine how well your body adapts to the stresses on it.

姿勢是支撐身體的方式，當你坐或站時，它是身體做每個動作的基礎，且姿勢也決定了你身體如何適應壓力。

These stresses can be things like carrying weight, or sitting in an awkward position.

造成身體壓力的因素可以是提重物，或是以不良姿勢坐著。

And the big one we all experience all day every day: gravity.

而每天承受最大的壓力就是：地心引力。

If your posture isn't optimal, your muscles have to work harder to keep you upright and balanced.

若你的姿勢不理想，肌肉要更用力讓你挺直、維持平衡。

Some muscles will become tight and inflexible, others will be inhibited.

有些肌肉會變緊、變硬，而其他肌肉會變得鬆弛。

Over time, these dysfunctional adaptations impair your body's ability to deal with the forces on it.

如此不正常的適應作用，長時間下來身體面對外力的能力會受損。

Poor posture inflicts extra wear and tear on your joints and ligaments, increases the likelihood of accidents, and makes some organs, like your lungs, less efficient.

不良姿勢使關節與韌帶額外磨損拉扯、增加意外的可能性，也使某些器官像是肺的效率變低。

Researchers have linked poor posture to scoliosis, tension headaches, and back pain, though it isn't the exclusive cause of any of them.

研究員認為姿勢不良可造成脊椎側彎、緊張性頭痛與背痛，雖然姿勢不是這些病症的唯一因素

Posture can even influence your emotional state and your sensitivity to pain.

姿勢甚至能影響你的心理狀態，還有你對痛的敏感度

So there are a lot of reasons to aim for good posture.

因此有許多應該保持好姿勢的理由。

But it's getting harder these days.

但現在已經越來越難了。

Sitting in an awkward position for a long time can promote poor posture, and so can using computers or mobile devices, which encourage you to look downward.

長時間以奇怪姿勢坐著可引發姿勢不良，使用電腦、行動裝置等產品時也是，這些產品都讓你的視線朝下。

Many studies suggest that, on average, posture is getting worse.

研究表示通常姿勢是越來越差。

So what does good posture look like?

那好的姿勢又長怎樣呢？

When you look at the spine from the front or the back, all 33 vertebrae should appear stacked in a straight line.

從正面或背面看脊椎時，全部 33 個椎骨應堆疊成一直線。

From the side, the spine should have three curves: one at your neck, one at your shoulders, and one at the small of your back.

而從側面看時，應有三個彎：一個在脖子，一個在肩膀，一個在後腰部。

You aren't born with this s-shaped spine.

你不是天生就有 S 型脊椎。

Babies' spines just have one curve like a "c."

嬰兒的脊柱只有一個 C 型的彎。

The other curves usually develop by 12-18 months as the muscles strengthen.

其它彎通常在 12~18 個月時發展而成，隨著肌肉增強，彎也會成形。

These curves help us stay upright and absorb some of the stress from activities like walking and jumping.

這些彎讓我們能站直，也吸收走路、跳躍等活動所造成的壓力。

If they are aligned properly, when you're standing up, you should be able to draw a straight line from a point just in front of your shoulders, to behind your hip, to the front of your knee, to a few inches in front of your ankle.

如果這些彎都適當地排列好，當你站著時，可以劃一條直線一路從你肩膀前的點到屁股後方，又到膝蓋前方，再到你腳踝前幾英寸的點。

This keeps your center of gravity directly over your base of support, which allows you to move efficiently with the least amount of fatigue and muscle strain.

這讓重心保持在支撐點的正上方，讓你能更有效率地移動，讓你動起來最不累，肌肉拉伸最少。

If you're sitting, your neck should be vertical, not tilted forward.

若坐著，脖子應垂直，不該向前傾。

Your shoulders should be relaxed with your arms close to your trunk.

肩膀應放鬆，手臂靠近軀幹。

Your knees should be at a right angle with your feet flat on the floor.

膝蓋應該垂直彎曲，讓腳掌平放地面。

But what if your posture isn't that great?

如果姿勢沒有這麼好的話呢？

Try redesigning your environment.

試試重新設置環境。

Adjust your screen so it's at or slightly below eye level.

調整螢幕，讓它在你視線上或稍低一點。

Make sure all parts of your body, like your elbows and wrists, are supported, using ergonomic aids if you need to.

確保所有肢體都有支撐，例如手肘、手腕，若需要的話，你可以使用人體工學輔助工具。

Try sleeping on your side with your neck supported and with a pillow between your legs.

試試側睡時讓脖子有支撐，並在雙腿中夾個枕頭。

Wear shoes with low heels and good arch support, and use a headset for phone calls.

穿低跟且有曲度支撐的鞋，且打電話時用耳機。

It's also not enough to just have good posture.

單有好姿勢也是不夠的。

Keeping your muscles and joints moving is extremely important.

讓肌肉與關節活動也很重要。

In fact, being stationary for long periods with good posture can be worse than regular movement with bad posture.

事實上，長時間維持一個好姿勢可能比經常變換不良姿勢還糟。

When you do move, move smartly.

活動時，要動得聰明。

Keep anything you're carrying close to your body.

拿任何物品都盡量靠近身體。

Backpacks should be in contact with your back carried symmetrically.

背包要貼著你的背且左右對稱。

If you sit a lot, get up and move around on occasion, and be sure to exercise.

若經常坐著，站起來偶爾走一下，且一定要運動。

Using your muscles will keep them strong enough to support you effectively, on top of all the other benefits to your joints, bones, brain and heart.

使用肌肉使之強健，以有效地支撐身體，另外，這對關節、骨頭、大腦、心臟皆有益處。

And if you're really worried, check with a physical therapist, because yes, you really should stand up straight.

若真擔心姿勢不正，就去找物理治療師，因為你真的要站直啊！