While it's easy to have poor posture, it takes practice to sit straight and stand tall. Poor posture comes from bad habits. However, making positive changes is within your control. You want to hold your body correctly, but be relaxed at the same time. Proper posture has many benefits including preventing injury and pain, as well as improving your self-image. Not only can maintaining correct body posture make you look good, but it can make you feel good, too.
Stretch
Take time to stretch each morning. Stretching helps to loosen tight, stiff muscles. Stand tall with your arms above your head. Wrap your arms around your body for a deeper stretch. The American Chiropractic Association recommends doing the "hugging your best friend" stretch before you start your day. While you are in this hugging position, slowly turn your body to the left as far as you can go. Bring your body back to center and then repeat turning toward the opposite direction.
Exercise
Be active and exercise on a regular basis. Do activities that exercise the abdominal muscles. Strong ab muscles help to support the spine better. Try exercises like yoga or Pilates to keep your back muscles strong. Kelly Andrews, doctor of chiropractic, points out that aerobic exercise like walking or riding a bicycle can help you stay conditioned. By keeping the muscles in your body strong, you can maintain a better base of balance when moving. This will improve your posture and make you less prone to injury and pain.
Sleep Posture
Practice good posture techniques even while you sleep. Lay on your side or back, not on your stomach. Place a pillow under your knees to reduce tension on the lower back. If you lay on your side, bend your knees a little and put a pillow between them. This helps to keep your spine straight. Keep your spine properly aligned by sleeping on a firm mattress.
Avoid Straining Your Back
Be careful about the load you carry on your back. A good rule of thumb is not to carry a backpack that exceeds 15 percent of your body weight or weighs more than 25 pounds. If you carry a large pocketbook or laptop briefcase over one shoulder, choose one that has a wide padded strap. Otherwise, you may be putting too much strain on your back or one side of your body. You are more likely to slouch when carrying a bag that is too heavy. In fact, this can cause you to slouch and have poor posture even when you aren't lugging a bag or backpack. When carrying a bag on one shoulder, place the strap over your head so that it rests on the opposite shoulder.
Distribute Your Weight
Maintain proper body alignment whether sitting or standing. Poor posture puts additional pressure on the neck and back. This can cause pain in the upper and lower back areas, which can radiate down the legs. When standing, concentrate on distributing your weight evenly from front to back and side to side, as slouching can strain your back. The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine explains that lining up the natural curves of your back helps to balance your body, putting less stress on back muscles. Your ears, shoulders and hips should form a straight line when you stand. The same goes for sitting. Sit up straight and hold your body in a vertical line so that your shoulders are parallel to your hips. Try not to lean forward or hunch your shoulders.
Wear Shoes With Support
Wear comfortable footwear that supports your feet. Women should avoid wearing high-heeled shoes too often. Select shoes, which are functional and provide adequate support. While flat shoes are a practical choice, you should only wear shoes like flip-flops occasionally. Wearing well-constructed shoes is particularly important if you need to stand for extended periods of time.
Keep Moving
Get up and keep moving throughout the day. Moving helps to alleviate stiff and sore muscles that can come from sitting in one place for too long. This can lead to slouching and poor posture when you do stand up. If your job requires that you work at a desk, make it a point to get up and move as often as possible. Try to get up from your desk every half hour if only to stretch before sitting back down. Better yet, remain standing or walk around for a minute or two.
