9 Ways to Improve Your Posture

For many of us, lessons about the importance of posture began in childhood. Our parents may have urged us to “stand up straight,” or a relative might have tried to balance a book on our heads to get us to stop slouching. 

While we may have found their comments intrusive as kids, now as adults, we know that good posture enhances how we look and how we feel about ourselves. Here are nine ways to improve your posture, despite no longer being a kid.

Understanding the Two Types of Posture

You may or may not be aware that there are two types of posture: Dynamic and static. 

Dynamic posture describes our body position as we move, from walking to picking up items off the ground. Static posture applies to sleeping, standing, and sitting — the body not in motion but in a more or less static position.

Why Bother With Posture?

By improving both our dynamic and static postures, we may actually enhance our health. Here are some potential benefits: 

• Ease pain: Good posture may help with shoulder and neck strain, backaches, and even joint pain. 
• Protect the spine: Constantly slouching may cause our spines to become more susceptible to injury. Good posture, in contrast, helps to minimize this risk. 
• Improve mood: When researchers compared participants who stooped with those who had straight posture, they found those with slouched positions also had more negative moods. Of course, it could be that posture is a reflection not a causation of those moods but like smiling, it may also help create the mood. Until we know for sure, standing tall may help us feel more positive.
• Breathe deeper: Ever feel like it’s challenging to take a deep breath? When we have poor posture, we may have issues with fully using our upper body muscles for drawing in deep breaths. Good posture, in contrast, may ease our ability to breathe fully, oxygenating our bodies.

9 Ways to Improve Your Posture

So obviously good posture is important. Whether it's working in our favor to help us appear more confident in the world (and therefore enhancing our success) or boosting our health in myriad ways, good posture is a healthy practice. Here are nine ways to improve your posture:

1. Practice regularly using a wall: Stand tall against a wall, placing the back of the head against the wall. Be sure to line the ears up over the shoulders and keep the head and knees straight. 
2. Protect your curve: When we’re sitting in a chair at work or home, we should put a cushion or rolled-up towel behind the middle of our back. That object protects the spine’s curve. Use a footstool or an adjustable chair to keep the knees at the same height as the hips, with the feet flat on the stool or floor.
3. Avoid “text-neck”: A study showed texting on our smartphones might result in neck pain due to poor posture. To avoid those aches, we should keep our neck angled between 0° to 15° when we are looking at or using our cell phones or screens. Truthfully, we should raise the phone, rather than lower our head, to view the device. 
4. Adjust the car seat: When driving, avoid having the seat set as far back as it will go, and scoot forward until you're comfortable and your posture is supported. Bend the legs slightly at the hip level. Place a rolled-up towel or cushion behind the back for additional support.
5. Check your shoes: Some of us really love our high heels, right? But they’re wrong for our posture because high heels tend to cause our backs to over-arch. When possible, wear shoes with low or no heels. 
6. Review sleep habits: Opt for a firm rather than soft mattress to support the spine. Look for a pillow that keeps the head level to the spine. Those who sleep on their sides should choose a smaller pillow to support the neck. 
7. The core counts: Strong abdominal muscles in the core may improve posture. While a long-term project, this is one to really focus on if possible.
8. Take a break: Throughout the day, set a goal of taking a walking break every hour. Varying posture through stretching or walking at intervals helps our core and back muscles stay strong. 
9. Enlist your medical team: Those who continue to have problems improving their posture should check with their medical team for help. A healthcare provider might recommend a physical therapist, suggest certain exercises, or look for possible causes of posture concerns. 

From adding a rolled-up towel to our desk chair to investing in low-heeled shoes, small changes may help us go from slouching to standing tall. Talk with a doctor about ongoing posture concerns. And the next time you see the relative who wanted to balance a book on your head? Offer them your own tips for success!

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