7 Tips for Improving Your Posture ...

Worn out shoes don’t provide you with a level walking surface. Shoes that are worn on the edges will make you lean farther to one side and they also tend to cause back muscles to develop more on one side than the other. When back muscles are stronger on one side, they will cause you to lean more towards the side with the stronger muscles.

If you have a friend who is excellent at bossing people around, then get her to help you improve your posture. I’m sure she’d be all for letting you know when your posture is less than desirable. Maybe you have a friend who also wants to improve her posture. You could be buddies in this endeavor and remind each other to quit slouching or to sit up straight. It’s actually hard to be mindful of when you are showing poor posture. Having someone else around to let you know makes it much easier to control.

We’ve all seen the pictures of the little kids walking around with a heavy book on top of their heads. This actually works, to a point. Granted, you have to walk a bit odd in order to keep the book from sliding off, but at least you are walking with your head held high. Try this at home and see if you can successfully pull it off. It’s actually kind of fun!

No matter what you are doing; standing, sitting, or walking, try to keep in mind how your posture looks. Stand tall, sit up straight, and walk with shoulders back and head up. I find I’m constantly readjusting my shoulders in order to bring my head up and quit staring at the ground. Keeping my hands out of my pockets as I walk also helps me to walk and stand more upright.

Some people have poor posture due to their lack of muscle tone. People who spend a lot of time on the couch aren’t usually sitting in an upright and rigid position. At least I don’t and I know most of my friends don’t. We slump to the side, slide down on the cushions in order to make leaning back on the couch easier, and even lay lengthwise on the couch. Doing some exercises to buff up those muscles a bit will usually help you get started with improving your posture.

I try to do this as much as I can, but it’s hard to remember to suck it in when I’m standing or walking around. My mom told me a story once about how my grandmother used to walk up to her and her sister and slap them on the tummy as she said, ‘Suck it in!!’. I think about her every time I suck in my stomach. This posture-improving technique not only strengthens stomach muscles, but also the muscles in the lower back. By improving the tone of these muscle groups, your posture tends to improve as well.

I’ve seen those giant yoga balls that people use for chairs. These are actually a great way to help improve posture when sitting. You can’t slouch on those yoga balls. Well, you can try, but you’ll end up being rolled right onto the floor. Take notice when you are slouching in a chair and sit up as straight as possible. You’ll be able to make sitting up straight a habit in no time at all.

Good posture will by no means harm you. I find that sitting up straight makes my stomach feel better after eating and walking with good posture makes me feel happier. Do you find these 7 tips for improving your posture to be good ones you’ll be able to use?

Top Photo Credit: zucateh