Improve Your Posture

A good posture is a way for healthy living as well as lifestyle. Good posture not only makes you look good but it also makes you feel good. When you carry yourself well, you will feel a lot better. Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or laying down. Good posture is training the body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments. Good posture makes you look taller, slimmer, more confident. And it has health benefits, preventing back, neck, hip and knee pain and giving your diaphragm and ribcage more room to expand when you breathe. If you make little changes throughout the day that involve your pelvis, legs, and feet, you can create a foundation for better posture.

Sitting:
Most of the day we are sitting, with an occasional stroll from house to car, work to cafeteria, sofa to bed or work to home, maybe by taking a small walk. The result is that our joint’s become rusty. We are built to move about, not to stay in one place all day long. We were also not built to sit upright in a chair the whole day, mobility is very important for us. It is very much impossible to avoid sitting in chairs, the next best thing to do is sit using good posture principles.
Start by uncrossing your legs and putting your feet on the floor. Then adjust your chair height so your hips are slightly higher than your knees.This will create a slight downward slope of your thighs. If you have done it in a proper manner, then your weight will be evenly distributed in the chair between your thighs, feet hips and lower back. To get the position right, make sure your shoulders are relaxed and open. Also keep your abdominal muscles firm but not too tight, your head and neck should be in line with your spine. There should not be any strain in your body.
Maintaining this position is much easier when your keyboard and computer monitor are placed correctly. Both your keyboard and computer should be in front of you in alignment. Your screen should be at eye level, so you don’t have to bend your neck up and down. When people use laptops, then they tend to bend over and hunch. If you are doing data entry, it is better to place the work you are copying from on a clip at eye level so you don’t have to bend your neck all the way down to see it.
Check It: Every once in a while place one hand behind the small of your back to see if there is still a curve there. If it is not there, consider using a lumbar support cushion. Every half hour or so, take a small break to walk about, this keeps your hamstrings and lower back from tightening up and pulling your spine out of alignment.
Feel It: When you cross your legs, you will notice your thighs more. Not because they have grown, its just that you will be more aware of them. That is natural, so don’t let it bother you.

Standing:
A healthy spine has an inward curve in the lower back, an outward curve at the shoulder blades, and another inner curve at the neck. To achieve this alignment, plant your bare feet on the floor a few inches apart. Your weight should be distributed on your feet evenly. Most people have a habit of putting their weight on their heel. Bring your body forward enough so you feel your weight evenly distributed on your feet. You will feel that your chest and abdomen move forward when you do this.
Keep your knees slightly bent. When you lock your knees, you tip your pelvis forward and squeeze the discs in the lower lumbar region of the back. Gently pull your belly button towards your spine, this will form a foundation of stability. Your shoulders should be relaxed, not hunched or rounded. Keep your head and neck in alignment with your shoulders, your chin parallel to the floor.
Check It: Roll up a small bath towel, then stand straight and erect against a wall. Put the rolled towel into the curve of your lower back. It should fit. This exercise will help you get the feeling for that curve.
Feel It: If you are accustomed to slouching, you may feel slightly taller and lighter, and a bit awkward. You may also feel very conscious of your breasts which may feel more prominent now. On the whole, you will look better.