7 Ways to Keep Your Posture Perfect ...

Your spine may not be properly aligned. Now, there are a number of ways to check this and to remedy it. However, it might come down to seeing your doctor, or even going to a chiropractor, if you're comfortable with that. Precise alignment is important for both your posture and your overall health. One way to check your alignment really does involve balancing a book on your head and trying to walk around. That is also a great way to perfect your posture in general.

It might seem like your chest has nothing to do with your spine but that is not the case at all. Elevating your chest is important to posture because it lifts your shoulders. It also naturally causes your spine to stretch itself in a straighter, more correct line.

Now, when I tell you to suck in your stomach, I don't mean do that thing you do to make sure your jeans zip or to look thinner. Keeping your stomach drawn in and drawn up can help to straighten out your posture. It will also naturally elevate your chest.

Keeping your shoulders firm, squared, and rounded out rather than rounded in encourages good posture. Think about all the times someone has told you to keep your shoulders back – now you can understand why. When you turn your shoulders in or down, it makes them slump. When they slump, it makes your spine wilt and causes you to slouch. Not only is that bad posture, but it's really awful for your spine as well.

You have the chance to keep your posture perfect even when you are sitting down. What you want to do is make sure there is an invisible line connecting your ears with your hips. In other words, they should be in alignment. If your ears are off to one side, or if your hips are off to the other side, you are curving your spine, and that can have awful repercussions.

Naturally you need to have good posture when you stand. As when you sit, when you are standing up, there should be a line connecting your ears with your hips. From there, however, your hips should line up with your knees, and your knees then need to be in alignment with your ankles. In other words, standing with your legs too close together isn't good for you or your posture. Splaying a little will not only create good posture, it will improve your balance as well.

This might seem like a bit too much, but if your posture is really bad, a back brace can help. It doesn't even necessarily have to be prescribed. You can even make your own. You may just need a guide to help your spine stay straight.

Having good posture can really improve your life, because it actually improves your health. How's your posture? What do you do to keep it in good shape?

Top Photo Credit: Junxs