The iconic human evolution chart may need to be revised. Most of us no longer walk fully upright.
“Naturally aligned human beings have become the minority in our population, a true rarity,” states the American Posture Institute, which estimates that 80% of the population suffers from posture-induced back pain. Collective treatment surpasses $1 billion a year.
It’s not surprising: Over 86% of U.S. workers sit for the entire workday, while the average time spent daily on a mobile device hovers at five hours. In total, Americans spend almost 11 hours a day on a screen, according to a recent Nielsen report. That means hunched shoulders and curved, forward-leaning “text necks.”
In the long term, this equates to a medley of potential health hazards, including fatigue, muscle tension, difficulty breathing, hampered immune functions, chronic back pain, osteoporosis, dowager humps, even depression.