4 Effective Ways to Improve your Posture
August 31, 2017This is a sponsored post. All opinions are exclusively my own.
As someone that works in front of the computer most of the day, I can attest to the importance of practicing good posture. If I find myself slumped over in front of the monitor for a long time, I’m almost guaranteed to have a backache the next day. The consequences of poor posture can be even more severe for those with underlying medical conditions or those who have become accustomed to chronic poor posture. Check out my 4 tips below on how you can improve your posture today.
Before we begin, keep in mind that posture is simply the position of our bodies while standing, sitting or lying down. Proper posture is the correct alignment of the body’s structures. Usually, we don’t even think about our posture- our muscles are simply used to supporting our body in the proper form. However, things can go awry and when poor posture is the result, it’s time to make some changes. Here are some easy ways you can make a positive impact on your posture.
4 Effective Ways to Improve your Posture
1. Practice mindfulness!
Mindfulness is simply the practice of thinking and being aware of your body’s position. When you practice mindfulness, you can deliberately place your body in proper alignment. For example, here are some tips on how to practice proper posture when sitting:
- Keep your feet on the floor.
- Don’t cross your legs. Adjust the height of your chair so your knees are at the level of your hips.
- Use a back support for the lumbar spine.
- Keep your forearms parallel to the grount.
2. Improve your balance!
Proper balance relies upon a good sense of balance. After all, if the body’s strength is uneven, it will be incredibly difficult to maintain a good posture. To improve one’s balance, practice raising one leg so that the thigh is parallel to the floor. Try to hold that position for about 30 seconds. Keep your upper body steady and use your core to stabilize the position. Over time, increase the amount of time you can hold the position.
3. Use a posture brace!
There are plenty of posture-correcting devices out there. One popular option is the Lumo Lift, which claims to improve posture in 14 days. Worn under the shirt, the device communicates with the free Lumo Lift app to monitor your posture throughout the day. You register your ideal posture, and whenever you veer away from this, the unit will vibrate to remind you to correct your alignment. However, this device requires you to put a lot of time & thought into your posture constantly. Given all this, it seems that a posture brace is more effective than the Lumo Lift. With a posture brace, one’s posture is physically kept in optimal position, requiring no added thought. This is both convenient and effective over the long term.
4. Practice yoga!
Yoga, the combination of physical and mental exercises, has been practiced for thousands of years. Don’t be intimidated by the fancy names of the various poses or by the expensive gear. Simply grab a basic yoga mat and search for some beginner poses, such as Cat, Crow, Downward Dog and Cobra. After practicing for some time, you will develop a heightened sense of awareness of your body and its proper alignment.
I hope these tips have inspired you to work on your posture today.
Now, tell me: Do you sit in front of the computer during the day? Do you notice poor posture occasionally? What steps have you taken to improve your posture?
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Yoga is a great suggestion to improve posture. I have been told from a few friends that Yoga actually has many benefits too. Maybe it is time I try it out for myself.
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This reminds me to do some more yoga. It’s been a while since I last did it. Thank you for these tips.
I am constantly reminding my children about how important posture is! These are perfect tips and yoga is an amazing help to balance your body!
My posture is terrible – I really need to work on this! I think a lot of it is too much time spent with my laptop in my lap so that I am hunched over. I definitely need to strengthen my core.
This will surely come in handy! I love the posture tips. Will share to friends too.
I love these suggestions! My daughter does yoga and it really does help her in many ways!
It has been ages since I have practiced Yoga, but I guess I really do need to get back to it, my posture could definitely use some improvement lately.