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According to an article published by R. Tattersall and M. J. Walshaw in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (Posture and Cystic Fibrosis, 2003), people suffering from CF are likely to succumb to abnormal postures in an effort to relieve shortness of breath. In particular, CF patients tend to develop rounded shoulders, barrel chests, spine curvature and an overall stooped appearance. This may lead to additional health problems and back pain.

Slumping over as a means of reducing shortness of breath may feel better, but the hunching over isn't good. Like a lot of things these days, doing it "just 'cuz it feels good" isn't always the best thing when you look at the overall picture. The reason hunching over reduces shortness of breath is because then your blood-which is carrying much needed oxygen-can move more easily when it has less of the force of gravity to overcome.

Eventually what happens as your body becomes more accustomed to the hunched over position, your physical ability to have enough force behind a cough for airway clearance is impaired. From there it's a vicious cycle as your lung capacity (FVC) and amount of initial expiratory force (FEV1) are adversely affected.

The moral of the story-your mother knows what she's talking about when she insists that you "quit slouching and sit up straight!"

Learn more about this author, Lauren Beyenhof.
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