“Sit up straight!”

A mom’s advice on posture may have more bearing on NIU students as three weeks remain before final exams.

Glenda Smith, an NIU instructor in the department of kinesiology and physical education, teaches posture education and relaxation and how students can benefit from both.

“Posture has a lot to do with your overall health because just sitting in a correct position is going to help the diaphragm breathe and get all the carbon dioxide out of the body,” Smith said. “Just sitting upright is wonderful because it helps you to think better.”

Smith has seen, among her students, the consequences of improper postural habits in the form of misaligned shoulders, forward head deviations, and even unequal leg lengths.

Smith said postural problems are attributed to habits that begin at a young age which include standing on one leg, crossing the legs with one knee over the other, slinging backpacks over one shoulder and extensive slouching while watching TV or playing video games.

Another common and increasing effect of poor posture among young people in their 20s is cervical kyphosis, or “military neck,” where the outward curve in a person’s neck straightens and moves inward.

Chiropractic physician Y.B. Barrat of Barrat Chiropractic, 1500 E. Lincoln Highway, Suite #1 in DeKalb has 20 percent of his clientele made up of NIU students and faculty and has noticed the increase of cervical kyphosis.

“Unfortunately we’re seeing this a lot in younger people, when it generally manifests later on in life, and I don’t know if has to do with more time at the computer instead of being more physically active,” Barrat said.

Sophomore psychology major Katie Rios said she has always had a tendency for poor posture and had to undergo physical therapy for a month in January.

“I [went] because two of the joints along the side of my spine moved and got stuck into position, and I think that’s because I sit in an awful posture all the time,” Rios said.

There are ways, however, to combat poor posture when studying. Smith and Barrat advise students to take two to three minutes away to be active and get something to eat or drink, stretch or walk around.

“You’re going to have to study, but if you find you’re sitting in a position or in a chair that’s not conducive to comfort and posture and support, get up and walk around,” Barrat said. “The two minutes you spend to do that will better prepare you for studying more.”