Find Your Natural Posture:
Stand against a wall, with your heels approximately six inches from the wall. Your back, butt and shoulders should touch the wall. This is the proper alignment you should aim for when standing.
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Improve Your Posture |
If you're reading this at your desk or on your phone, chances are, you're bending toward the screen and your posture could be better. Pull your head back in line with the rest of your body and then shift your shoulders back. Now breathe in ... feel that? Nice right? Plainly put, improve your posture and you improve your life. First, standing straight makes you taller and because your shoulders are pulled back, they look broader and your waist looks slimmer. You appear more confident and powerful. But you don't just look better, you physically feel better too. That's because when your head, neck and spine are appropriately positioned, the muscles, bones and joints that support them aren't strained. Which means it's easier to breathe and to move. You'll also notice less stiffness and fewer headaches. All you need to do is a few quick and easy exercises throughout the day to realign your spine. In no time, your body will fall in line naturally.
Exercises to Try
Waiting in Line
It's become reflexive to pull out your phone and scroll during downtime, but use this time to let your mind wander. It's also the ideal time to get in a few stretches. These feel great and we found they also keep people from standing too close behind you.
Try It: Stand up straight. Bring your hands behind you and join your palms. Press your arms straight back and hold for 10 seconds. Release and repeat three times.
Sitting at Your Desk
Haunching over a keyboard easily slumps the shoulders. It also tenses and tightens the muscles around the ribcage. You also take in less oxygen, which leads to fatigue. Be sure to sit as far back in your chair as you can to keep your spine straight and do this exercise whenever you sit down or feel tight.
Try It: Sit with your feet flat on the floor. Twist to the left, resting your hand on your outer thigh. Hold for three breaths and then repeat on the other side.
At Home
You're welcome to collapse into the couch and relax. But take some time when you get up to stretch out your back and shoulders while opening up your chest.
Try It: Bend your left arm behind you, palm out. Raise and bend your right arm behind your head, reaching for your left hand. Clasp your fingers together (if you can reach) and hold for three breaths. Then switch arms and repeat.
Avoid the cell phone slump
Your head weighs about 11 pounds (about the same as bowling ball).
With good posture, your head essentially balances on top of your spinal column. With just a 15-degree tilt forward, that bowling ball noggin feels like 27 pounds. At 30 degrees, it increases to 40 pounds. When you tilt your head forward 45 degrees, it's exerting nearly 50 pounds of force on the muscles and joints of your upper body. How do you prevent this? Bring your phone up closer to eye level.
