3 Easy Tips to Improve Your Posture Right Now

When Mom nagged you to stand up straight, she might not even have realized that you risked more than looking sloppy and slouchy. Poor posture can lead to neck and back pain, breathing issues, headaches, joint discomfort, and even digestion problems because the body’s natural alignment is off, explains Kevin Lees, D.C., a chiropractor and manager of auditing and quality for The Joint Chiropractic.

Plenty of factors affect posture. Sitting for lengthy periods makes it hard to maintain the proper position for optimal alignment, and “bone loss can also negatively affect posture, and ligaments and tendons naturally lose elasticity as we get older, causing our bodies to become tighter,” says Melissa Prestipino, P.T., D.P.T., owner of Maize & Blue Rehab in Sparta, NJ. Take these steps to help improve your posture fast, then make the corrections stick by building them into your regular routine.

Figure out what’s making you slouch

Do you cross your legs when sitting or lean on one leg while standing? If so, untangle your limbs and shift your weight so it’s on both feet evenly. Get into the practice of doing regular body scans and correcting your position. Assess your work station: Your chair should be supportive and at a height that lets your feet be flat on the floor; place your monitor about at eye level and the keyboard slightly lower than your elbows.

Take movement and stretch breaks

Now it’s time to start a new habit: taking movement breaks while sitting. Write “Stand up and move” on a sticky note and slap it on your computer or the wall behind your desk, or set a reminder on your phone to alert you every hour. “A walk is great, but just moving in general activates muscles used to keep up posture,” says Lees.

Incorporate stretching into some of those breaks. “Chronically tight muscles may occur due to poor posture, but they can also prevent good posture,” Lees says. Try this: Stand in a doorway and place one forearm on the doorframe, elbow at shoulder height; turn gently in the opposite direction until you feel a stretch across your chest. Hold for 10 seconds, then repeat with the other arm.

Strengthen your posture muscles

Strengthening relevant muscles can help you achieve good posture and ward off bad posture. If you have access to a rowing machine, it’s one of the best ways to exercise for posture support; it targets muscles that keep your back, shoulders, and spine upright, Lees says. These at-home moves will also be helpful.

Wall Angels

Stand with your back against a wall, arms hanging at your sides, with the backs of your hands against the wall. Move your hands up to meet above your head; once they touch, bring them back down. Repeat five times.

Planks

Get on all fours, then lift your body so you’re balancing your weight on your toes and forearms, keeping your elbows directly below your shoulders. Hold this position for at least 10 seconds, then work your way up as your strength and stamina increase.