Has anyone ever told you, "Stand up straight!" or scolded you for slouching at a family dinner?
有没有人曾经告诉过你：“不要弯腰驼背！”亦或是因为你在家庭晚餐的时候肩背佝偻而受到训斥。
Comments like that might be annoying, but they're not wrong.
但所谓忠言逆耳，他们并没有错。
Your posture, the way you hold your body when you're sitting or standing,
姿势，也就是你掌控自己身体的方式，例如坐姿和站姿
is the foundation for every movement your body makes,
不仅是你肢体做出每个动作的基础，
and can determine how well your body adapts to the stresses on it.
也能决定你的身体能承受多大压力。
These stresses can be things like carrying weight, or sitting in an awkward position.
这些压力可能来自于重物的搬运或者不正确的坐姿。
And the big one we all experience all day every day: gravity.
还有一项每天都在影响我们的：万有引力。
If your posture isn't optimal, your muscles have to work harder to keep you upright and balanced.
如果你的姿势不标准，你的肌肉需要更紧绷来保持身体的直立与平衡。
Some muscles will become tight and inflexbile. Others will be inhibited.
一些肌肉将会变得紧绷而且僵硬。还有一些会被拘束从而让人不自在。
Over time, these dysfunctional adaptations impair your body's ability to deal with the forces on it.
随着时间流逝，这些功能失调将会减弱你身体对外来压力的抵抗性。
Poor posture inflicts extra wear and tear on your joints and ligaments,
不良的姿势会给你的韧带和关节增加额外负担，从而撕裂它们，
increases the likelihood of accidents, and makes some organs, like your lungs, less efficient.
也会增加事故发生的可能性，同时让某些器官，比如肺的工作效率降低。
Researchers have linked poor posture to scoliosis, tension headaches, and back pain,
研究证明，不正确的姿势可导致的症状有：脊柱侧凸神经紧张性头痛以及背疼，
though it isn't the exclusive cause of any of them.
尽管不良姿势并不是这些症状的唯一诱因。
Posture can even influence your emotional state and your sensitivity to pain.
姿势甚至可以影响你的精神状态以及你对痛觉的敏感度。
So there are a lot of reasons to aim for good posture.
所以保持好的姿势是很必要的。
But it's getting harder these days.
但最近保持好姿势越来越难了。
Sitting in an awkward position for a long time can promote poor posture,
长时间别扭的坐姿会进一步加重不良姿势，
and so can using computers or mobile devices, which encourage you to look downward.
电脑和手机的使用也会有同样效果，因为电子产品会促使你向下看。
Many studies suggest that, on average, posture is getting worse.
很多研究表明，通常来讲人们的姿势越来越糟糕。
So what does good posture look like?
所以正确的姿势看起来是什么样的呢？
When you look at the spine from the front or the back, all 33 vertebrae should appear stacked in a straight line.
当你从前方或者后方观察脊椎时，所有的33根脊椎骨看起来应该在同一条直线上。

From the side, the spine should have three curves:
从侧面观察，脊柱应该有三个曲线。
one at your neck, one at your shoulders, and one at the small of your back.
一个在脖子处，一个在肩膀处，还有一个小弯曲在背部。
You aren't born with this s-shaped spine. Babies' spines just have one curve like a "c."
这个S曲线不是与生俱来的。婴儿的脊椎只有一个弧度，就像字母C一样。
The other curves usually develop by 12-18 months as the muscles strengthen.
其他的弯曲通常会在12-18个月发育成型，与肌肉力量的增长同步。
These curves help us stay upright and absorb some of the stress from activities like walking and jumping.
这些弯曲帮助我们直立，并帮助我们分担一部分来自于走路和跳跃的压力。
If they are aligned properly, when you're standing up,
如果它们被排成一条直线。当你站立时，
you should be able to draw a straight line from a point just in front of your shoulders,
你能够画上一条直线，从你的肩膀正前方
to behind your hip, to the front of your knee, to a few inches in front of your ankle.
经过臀部的正后方、穿过膝盖的前方，直到你脚踝前方几英寸。
This keeps your center of gravity directly over your base of support,
这让你的重心正好在你的支撑面的正上方，
which allows you to move efficiently with the least amount of fatigue and muscle strain.
让你能够更有效率的移动，同时减少了肌肉的绷紧与疲劳。
If you're sitting, your neck should be vertical, not tilted forward.
如果你正坐着，你的脖子应当是竖直的，而不是向前倾斜。
Your shoulders should be relaxed with your arms close to your trunk.
你的双肩应当放松，双臂靠近躯干。
Your knees should be at a right angle with your feet flat on the floor.
你的膝盖应在正确的角度，且脚掌平放接触地面。
But what if your posture isn't that great?
不过万一你的姿势没有那么好呢？
Try redesigning your environment. Adjust your screen so it's at or slightly below eyelevel.
试着重新设定你所处的环境。调整你的屏幕，使其刚好或略低于你的平视视线。
Make sure all parts of your body, like your elbows and wrists, are supported, using ergonomic aids if you need to.
确保你身体的每一个部分，比如肘和腕关节都有支撑物，必要的时候使用人体工程学的辅助设备。
Try sleeping on your side with your neck supported and with a pillow between your legs.
试着侧睡，并让脖子得到支撑，以及双腿之间夹一个枕头。
Wear shoes with low heels and good arch support, and use a headset for phone calls.
穿低跟或能支撑足弓的鞋，并用耳麦接电话。
It's also not enough to just have good posture.
但是，仅仅拥有好的姿势是不够的。
Keeping your muscles and joints moving is extremely important.
保持关节和肌肉的持续运动是非常重要的。
In fact, being stationary for long periods with good posture can be worse than regular movement with bad posture.
事实上，长时间以正确的姿势保持静止不动甚至比用不好的姿势做寻常运动更糟糕。
When you do move, move smartly. Keep anything you're carrying close to your body.
所以要明智的移动。保持你所搬运的人或物靠近你的身体。
Backpacks should be in contact with your back carried symmetrically.
背包需要对称地紧贴在背上。
If you sit a lot, get up and move around on occasion, and be sure to exercise.
如果你长时间坐着，每隔一段时间起身在周围走动一下，另外一定要锻炼。
Using your muscles will keep them strong enough to support you effectively,
经常锻炼肌肉让它们保持强健，以便于让它们更有效地为你服务，
on top of all the other benefits to your joints, bones, brain and heart.
另外这对你的关节、骨骼、大脑以及心脏都有好处。
And if you're really worried, check with a physical therapist, because yes, you really should stand up straight.
而且如果你实在很担心，你可以去找理疗师做检查，因为是的，你真的应该站直。