How to Improve Your Posture

We live in a society where either posture is not taught, or it is taught in such a way that children come to resent it, meaning they have a parent or grandparent that is always telling them to not slouch or stand up straight. Typically when this happens, a person's first reaction is to thrust their shoulders back and stick their lower back out which in turn creates even more of a problem. Holding your shoulders rigidly back, and putting too much curve in your lower spine can cause just as many problems as slumping with shoulders rolled forward because even though this is what is often thought of as appropriate posture, it is not.

Whatever the reasons for bad posture, whether it be poorly designed desks when we are in school, bosses who refuse to buy ergonomic chairs for those who sit at a computer all day, or just our own misunderstanding of what good posture is, bad posture has become a real problem for society as a whole.

Bad posture can be caused by a number of reasons such as, sitting for too long, being depressed or anxious, poorly designed furniture, and stress. However, whatever a person's reason for poor posture, anyone can change their posture at any time with just a little effort. Keep in mind it is not necessary to expend large amounts of effort on good posture, remember the whole rigid shoulders back, and lower back held in a deep curve is not good posture, but simply another form of bad posture.

Bad posture can cause back problems, and exacerbate existing health problems even if the existing health problems such as a seasonal cold aren't severe or permanent. So, what can you do to improve your poor posture?

The first thing you want to do when it comes to improving your posture is gain an understanding of what good posture really is. Good posture is when your spine is straight but with a slight curve in the lower spine, and your shoulders are rolled back just a bit (but not rigidly so) so that it is as if your shoulder blades could slide down your back. Your chin should be level with the ground, not drooping as if it were going to tuck into your chest.