Most people do not pay much attention to their posture. We wake up and start the day thinking about many things but rarely do we make a conscious decision to keep our posture fine tuned all day.

I think it is fair to say that good posture is essential for overall good health and fitness. Many of our most painful muscular, skeletal and nervous system problems develop from poor posture. The primary negative aspect of poor posture is its impact on our nervous system, which controls and regulates most of our bodily system functions.

When we define posture it is important to understand the relationship poor or bad posture has with imbalances in muscle length and joint mechanics. Correct posture is defined as a state of skeletal and muscular balance, which is properly aligned to strengthen and protect the supporting structures of our body.

Whether a person is walking, running, laying, squatting or stooping, good posture allows the muscles of the body to function with maximum efficiency. One of the most common reasons for injury during exercise can be linked back to poor posture. Postural dysfunction creates restriction and misalignment of the musculoskeletal structures. These restrictions quickly cause your body to either over or under compensate for stability across muscles, tendons and joints leading to tears, pulls and spinal misalignment.

The body has three primary regions where poor posture can develop. First is the lower leg, knee, ankle and foot area. The second area is lumbar, pelvis and hips. The final area is your upper back, shoulders and neck.

Each region creates a very specific set of problems caused by postural distortions. The first area and one that can be very problematic for athletes and people leading an active lifestyle is the leg, knee, ankle and foot area. If you're a runner, for example, poor posture with knee and foot mechanics will create a misalignment leading to overactive pronation or sublimation. This over activity can lead to iliotibial band syndrome of the knee, Achilles tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis. Good posture for an endurance athlete is key so they can avoid tightness of the calf complex and weakening of the foot and ankle stabilizers.

The second area where poor posture can lead to the most commonly seen problems are the lumbar, pelvis and hip complex. This is an area where sitting and sedentary behavior creates postural distortions. When you sit for long periods and lack proper support you can create anterior pelvic tilt.

This pelvic tilt often hyper extends your low back. Poor posture in the sitting position where you develop a pelvic tilt shortens your hip flexor muscles. In most cases tight hip flexors pull the pelvis and lower back forward when you stand and start moving. This forward pulling caused by the shortened position of the hip flexors lead to hip, low back and hamstring strains.

The third area for postural distortions is your upper back and extremities, which can be caused by rounded shoulders, improper lifting and titling of the neck and head or long periods. Again this poor posture is commonly found in people who sit at a desk job or drive for an extended amount of time. Upper body postural distortion is very common among weightlifters and other fitness enthusiasts where form and execution of the activity is key. Most experience tightness in the neck, chest and shoulder areas, along with weakness of the middle back and shoulder stabilizers. Poor upper body posture leads to neck pain, headaches and shoulder flexibility problems. A good example is the fact that poor posture over time leads to rotator cuff tendinitis and inflamed shoulder tendons.

So why focus on good posture? If the body is out of optimal alignment your muscles eventually adapt by either shortening or lengthening depending on the postural distortion. Each of the three areas mentioned above will impact a different area of your spinal cord and your nervous system. These muscle imbalances and their adverse effect to your nerve tissue can have a number of health consequences. It is essential to stay flexible and maintain good posture at all times. If you're into fitness and exercise, be sure you perform your activity correctly.

Maintaining good posture will make a big difference to your long-term health. If you have concerns about your posture or are experiencing unusual pain or weakness during exercise you may want to have a doctor or fitness professionals take a look at your body mechanics. If you believe your spine is misaligned you may wish to seek help from a physical therapist or chiropractor. There are a number of ways to address postural distortion with a number of ways to take corrective action. One great approach is with a well-developed exercise program of flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, agility and balance training.

It is so important to keep on top of mind awareness when it comes to proper posture on a daily basis.

Judd Jones is a director for the Hagadone Corporation.