By Tim Errington, Chiropractor
If you had the knowledge that could save literally millions of lives from terrible suffering, wouldn’t you feel compelled to spread this information by whatever means possible? Well, that’s the position I find myself in, hence this book.
Posture is increasingly in the news, as is the fact that long hours of sitting is really bad for you. Recent studies have linked sitting to early death, and as a chiropractor, I see the devastating effects of poor posture everywhere.
Closer to home, as a father of young twins, I accept freely a huge responsibility to deliver my children into adulthood well-grounded, well-educated, and in good health. Most of us have got the education part covered, but keeping our kids healthy is not such an easy task in this world of temptations and worsening postures. The stark truth is quite simple… lose your posture, lose your health!
When I trained in San Francisco we called this condition, ‘Silicon Valley Syndrome’, but unfortunately, it was never really understood or given the attention it deserves. Now, many years later, the importance of posture is still hugely underestimated.
After practicing for 12 years, I am overwhelmed by literally thousands of lovely people suffering the devastating effects of poor posture. One hundred percent of people that develop that familiar ‘forward head posture’ succumb to some health issue.
And for many, it results in decades of degeneration, suffering, medication, and wasted potential. It’s such a shame; these problems are so easily prevented. But there can be no prevention until the problem and its scale is recognised—that is the purpose of this book.
When you mention bad posture and its detrimental effects on health to families, companies, and organisations, the response is all too often a laugh and a shrug. It’s normal, they say. NO, IT IS NOT NORMAL! It is everywhere I agree, but it certainly can’t be described as normal. Now, it’s time for me to raise my game and teach as many as I can reach, how they can easily take an interest in their health, become proactive, and change their fate.
Having worked around the world, I am currently in clinical practice in beautiful Singapore. I see the people here working harder than any other country I’ve visited. However, I also see a country needlessly losing its vitality, many people living for 30 or more years with terrible spinal arthritis and a myriad of closely-related health conditions. The medical community, of course, gets to work working on the resulting conditions. But unfortunately, they just don’t have the time, or the will, to address the real cause of this epidemic. And this is, of course, good repeat business for them.
The empirical evidence I have is overwhelming. After helping thousands of patients in Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD), and carrying out postural evaluations on tens of thousands more, it pains me to report that over 80% of the young population are allowing postural changes to negatively impact their health. Even kids are increasingly suffering spine-related pain. Don’t get me wrong, this problem is not localised to this little island, it is more a problem of our era. It is worldwide, and it is getting worse.
Education raises awareness and increased awareness can save lives. This is my area of expertise and I intend to literally save as many as I can influence, from the slippery slope so many find themselves on. This book will become one of my tools. I hope that in reading this book you will perhaps begin to consider the postures, and therefore health, of your family and question what might lie ahead. You will learn a great deal about your lifestyle choices and hopefully, become empowered to make some changes for the better. Why do I consider myself an expert? Well, structure always determines function; and my previous career in structural engineering provides me with a unique insight into how the human structure behaves and responds to the different forces associated with both normal and abnormal postures.
We all know that we should ‘stand up straight’; we’ve heard it a million times. We can also find plenty of books out there showing us how to improve our posture through exercise, yoga, Pilates, or even Tai Chi. All good advice, but without awareness there is no move to action.
This book is intended to really explain WHY this subject is so very important. We’ve seen the ‘how’, but without the ‘why’ there is no change!
This is of enormous importance, make no mistake. Unfortunately, we humans have assumed the dubious honour of becoming the sickest species the planet has ever seen. If, in some small way, I can help improve the health of Singapore, and perhaps further afield, then this book will have served its purpose. If we can improve the posture and therefore, vitality of the people of this small island, then just maybe we can start to make a difference. Let’s look even bigger. If we can improve the health of Singapore, then maybe other countries will take note. Why not? It has to start somewhere. This is only the application of good, old common sense.
This book is the next natural step in my desire to spread this important information. I’ve purposely made it a ‘quick read’. Please try and get the main points, and if you do, it should provoke some healthy change. Perhaps then, I can encourage you to save your whole family from the degeneration and health issues that postural problems hasten. You can also help me improve others’ lives by passing it on.
Remember, every great journey starts with a simple single step. TAKE THAT STEP! —Tim Errington
Change Your Posture – Change Your Life
Improve Your Posture!