How to Correct Posture

It’s one of those things you know you’re supposed to do like eating your vegetables and getting enough rest: But like those two tasks, keeping good posture can be easier said than done. If you’ve slacked off in keeping the slack out of your back, the following tips will help you stand up straight again.Good posture has many benefits. It helps oxygen and blood circulate better. You look thinner and more confident. So read on to get yourself into the right position. All of these moves may feel awkward at first, but with practice, good posture will feel perfectly natural. Then you can get back to your veggies.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Mirror
• Ergonomic Tools

How to Correct Your Posture

1. Breathe Into It. The first part of correcting your posture is to be aware of all the parts that you’ll be using to sit and stand up straight. Take a deep breath. Breathe in through your nose and let your abdomen expand. Repeat this a few times and let your chest and shoulders rise and fall with each breath. This movement will help start to activate your core and back muscles and help you relax so you can readjust
2. Shoulders. As tension mounts in your neck and back, your shoulders will find their way closer and closer to your ears. Correcting your posture means getting your shoulders lower than your earlobes. Pull your shoulders down and back. If you are sitting in a chair, your shoulders and the top of your back should touch the chair. If you are standing, your shoulders should be positioned so that they do not curve forward.
3. Tighten Abs. Your abdominal muscles will help support your body as you correct your posture, so make sure these muscles are engaged. Pull your stomach in just enough to feel their support. You do not need to pull them in so tight that you can’t breathe, just enough to feel them working.
4. Pull Hips Forward. Your back has two natural curves in it. One is at the top of your back and curves out. The other is in your lower back and curves in. Your hips sit at the bottom of this curve. Just like you have to be careful to not let your shoulders slouch into the curve at the top of your back, you have to be careful not to hyper-extend the lower curve either. Pull your hips forward so that they fall in line under your shoulder.
5. Check Your Work. Because poor posture may feel more comfortable than correct posture for a while, you will need to visually make sure you’re doing it right. Find a mirror and practice getting into posture. Check out your reflection as you pass windows. Check in whenever you can to make sure that you are holding your body in the right position.
6. Use Your Tools. Sometimes using correct posture can be hampered by the work that we need to do. People need to sit at desks and use computers and this can force the body into less than perfect posture. However, there are a variety of ergonomic tools available to help. Office supply stores carry many different types of back, leg, shoulder and hand support to help keep your posture as perfect as it can be. Some of these tools include:Ergonomic Office Chairs - these chairs allow sensitive adjustment behind the neck, shoulders and lower back as well as tilt options for arm rests and seatComputer Rests - These mini-shelves allow the users to adjust their computer screens to the right height so that the neck can be in a neutral position when viewing the screen.Foot Rests - These go under the desk and users rest their feet on them to keep knees and hips in a neutral position.