人們普遍認為腰疼背疼和不正確的坐姿有直接關系。然而，一些研究得出的結論是沒有足夠的科學依據能證明低頭垂肩、彎腰駝背會引起背痛。不過科學傢們普遍認為我們應避免長時間保持一個姿勢，靜止不動。本文討論低頭垂肩是否會影響健康。
詞匯：posture 姿勢，儀態
We hear family members and teachers telling us to “sit up straight” and “stand tall”, but do they say that because an erect posture is more aesthetically pleasing, or is it the key to a pain-free back? It’s commonly believed that ‘slump‘ sitting or ‘slouch‘ standing damages our spines. But, is slouching really that bad?
Meghan Markowski, physiotherapist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital, says that a poor posture can lead to neck pain and back problems. She also links it to other problems like poor balance, headaches and breathing difficulties. Meghan says we should aim for an upright spine position and to avoid flexing and arching our backs. But, if you’re a sloucher, there may be some good news coming from the last two decades of research…
In an article called “Sit Up Straight: Time to Re-evaluate”, physiotherapist Diane Slater and colleagues review the current research and conclude that there is no strong evidence that slouching aggravates back pain, or even that a perfect posture exists. Instead, they argue that differences in our spinal curvatures are a fact of life, and that our backs are stronger than we think.
So, we’re not sure that slouching causes back pain, but have you ever felt like slouching puts you in a worse mood? A 2014 study by Johannes Michalak and colleagues found that depressed participants in a slumped seated position remembered more negative words than positive, but this improved once they sat upright. That means that the way we sit might make us feel more negative. Should we sit up straight and stand tall then?
Something both sides seem to agree on is that we should avoid staying in one static posture throughout the day – we should change positions and stretch. The human spine is designed to be on the move and a sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of back pain. If you’re unable to do this, slouching in front of your computer all day may cause you discomfort, but the evidence tells us it’s not actually damaging your spine.
詞匯表
erect posture 昂首挺胸的姿勢，腰板挺直的姿勢
aesthetically pleasing 雅觀的，看著舒服的
pain-free 無痛的
slump sitting 彎腰弓背的坐姿，懶散的坐姿
slouch standing 彎腰駝背的站姿
spine 脊柱
physiotherapist 理療醫師
upright 挺直的
flex 向後彎曲
arch 向後拱
sloucher 低頭垂肩的人，彎腰駝背的人
aggravate 加重，使嚴重
spinal curvature 脊柱彎曲
static 靜止的
on the move 活動的
sedentary 久坐不動的
discomfort 不適
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題
1. What is a common belief that people have about slouching?
2. Name three problems that Meghan Markowski links to poor posture.
3. True or False? Diane Slater’s article agrees with Meghan Markowski’s view that a poor posture can lead to back problems.
4. What happened when participants in Johannes Michalak’s study were sitting in a slumped position?
5. What advice is given at the end of the article for us to avoid back pain?
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. Stand up straight and stop _______!
slouch slouching sloucher slouched
2. Office jobs can be quite _______. Lots of sitting at desks in front of computers.
sedentary upright slouched discomfort
3. I don’t like to sit down for too long. I prefer to be _______.
on the move static slumped spinal
4. They say that yoga is great for improving your _______.
flexible upright posture physiotherapy
5. I love how you’ve decorated. The room is so _______.
uncomfortable aesthetically pleasing static pain-free
答案
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. What is a common belief that people have about slouching?
It’s commonly believed that slouching damages our spines.
2. Name five problems that Meghan Markowski links to poor posture.
Meghan links neck pain, back problems, poor balance, headaches and breathing difficulties to poor posture.
3. True or False? Diane Slater’s article agrees with Meghan Markowski’s view that a poor posture can lead to back problems.
False. Diane Slater’s article claims there is no strong evidence that slouching aggravates back pain.
4. What happened when participants in Johannes Michalak’s study were sitting in a slumped position?
In Johannes Michalak’s study, participants in a slumped seated position remembered more negative words than positive words.
5. What advice is given at the end of the article for us to avoid back pain?
The article recommends we should avoid staying in one static posture throughout the day – we should change positions and stretch.
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. Stand up straight and stop slouching!
2. Office jobs can be quite sedentary. Lots of sitting at desks in front of computers.
3. I don’t like to sit down for too long. I prefer to be on the move.
4. They say that yoga is great for improving your posture.
5. I love how you’ve decorated. The room is so aesthetically pleasing.
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