5 tips on achieving picture-perfect posture

One of the best known secrets to remaining youthful is to stand and sit up straight.  This one act alone will do more for your overall looks and health than Botox or any face-lift.  Nothing says, “I’m old,” quite as much as a stooped over appearance.  Poor posture makes us look frail adding years to our body.  Too much time spent standing or sitting slouched or hunched over takes a toll on our back taking the brunt of being out of alignment.  Improper alignment of the body affects our ease of movement, flexibility, muscle strength, along with improper positioning of the spine.

Poor posture is hard on your body:

·      It can strain muscles and ligaments injuring you making day to day activities like carrying in groceries, more difficult to do.

·      Increases wear and tear on joint surfaces which may contribute to the beginnings of osteoarthritis.

·      Narrows the space between vertebrae increasing the risk of compressed nerves.

·      Can lead to rounded shoulders, protruding abdomen and buttocks, overly arched lower back and where the head is pushed forward in an exaggerated position. 

Here are 10 tips on keeping you standing tall at any age:

1.  Improve range of motion

Too many years of slouching will eventually reduce your range of motion affecting your posture.  Every day, stretch by opening up your upper body to maintain movement in your upper back and shoulders.  Stay limber by getting up every 30 minutes to stretch, walk, or stand paying attention to your posture. 

2.  Sit up straight

Sitting in front of a computer for hours on end makes it especially important to be aware of your posture.  Sitting up with good, tall posture and your shoulders dropped is a good habit to get into.  Body awareness is critical to achieving this.  It starts by making sure your work station is set up to promote proper posture.

3.  Strengthen your core

A weak midsection often leads to a slouched spine and poor posture.  With a strong and stable core, you’re able to sit up, stand up, and move around more comfortable.  And while the number on the scale certainly isn’t everything, standing up straight helps you look 10 to 15 pounds thinner.  Pilates and yoga are great ways to build up the strength of core muscles found in your abdomen and pelvic area. 

4.  Support your spine

As we age, it is common to experience weakening in the muscles around the spine.  When these muscles weaken and atrophy, it will make it difficult to stand up tall and straight.  To prevent this, perform exercises targeting the back extensors, neck flexors, pelvic muscles, and side muscles.  These same moves can improve endurance in the spine and trunk muscles allowing you to stand up for long periods of time without your back hurting. 

5.  Pump iron

When done correctly, resistance training or lifting weights can improve posture.  Poor posture is usually caused by overuse or over activation of a muscle or muscle group from too much time spent in certain positions.  Examples include poor posture while driving, reading, or sitting in front of a computer.  The resulting appearance over time is that of a forward leaning head and rounded shoulders from over activation of shoulder internal rotator and protractors.  Using targeting resistance training can over time, reestablish the proper joint alignment and improve posture. By performing certain moves that work the back muscles such as rows and pulls can help those with rounded shoulders.