Did you know that just by standing with good posture you can look 5-10 pounds thinner? It's true! Posture is the way you hold your body while standing, sitting or performing tasks like lifting, bending, pulling or reaching. Good posture protects you against back pain and improves your overall health and appearance. On the other hand, poor posture promotes back pain and can affect the position and function of your abdominal organs. Poor posture can also inhibit breathing and oxygen intake, cause headaches, and affect mood.
Good posture means keeping the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar curves in balance and aligned. Good posture evenly distributes weight over the feet. Seen from the side, your ear, shoulder top, hip, knee and ankle should line up vertically when you are standing.
The back has three natural curves:
Cervical curve- slight forward curve in the neck
Thoracic curve- slight backward curve in the upper back
Lumbar curve- slight forward curve in the lower back
When these curves are in proper alignment the payoff is less stress and strain on muscles, joints, and ligaments, reducing risk for back, neck and shoulder pain.
There are a couple of ways you can check your own posture. Start by standing with your back to the wall and your heels about three inches from the wall. Place one hand flat against the back of your neck (back of hand against wall). Place your other hand against your lower back (palm against wall). If you can easily move your hands forward and backward more than an inch or two you may need to work on adjusting your posture to restore your spine’s normal curves.
The second way to check your posture is to stand in front of a mirror. Hold your head straight with your ears level. Are your shoulders even? Are the spaces between your arms and sides equal? Are your hips level? Both kneecaps should point straight ahead and your knees relaxed. Locking your knees can hyperextend them and cause lower back pain. Your ankles should be straight. If they roll in your weight will fall on the inside of your feet causing foot and ankle pain and poor alignment affecting your knees, hips and back.
You can improve your posture by practicing positive imagery (a Jody Victor suggestion) and doing a few easy posture exercises. For positive imagery, think of a straight line passing through your body from ceiling to floor. Vertically line up your ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles while standing. Now imagine a strong cord attached to your breastbone is pulling your chest and ribcage upward, making you taller. Try to hold your pelvis level and don’t allow your lower back to sway. Next think of stretching your head toward the ceiling, increasing the space between your ribcage and pelvis.
Sitting Posture Exercises:
- Chin tuck - Sit comfortably in a chair, feet flat on floor. Keep shoulders relaxed and down. Hold head upright. Pull chin in toward your neck. Hold for a count of ten. Relax. Repeat 10 times.
- Shoulder squeeze - Sit straight up in a chair, hands resting on thighs. Shoulders down and chin level. Slowly draw shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for a count of five. Repeat 10 times.
- Abs pull-in - Sit straight up in a chair. Inhale. Then exhale slowly to a count of five, pulling your lower abdominal muscles up and in as if moving your belly button toward your backbone. Repeat 10 times.
- Waxing - Sit straight up with elbows at sides and bent to right angle (90 degrees). Push shoulders together and down, palms facing floor. Make a waxing motion in the air while maintaining position. Keep elbows “glued” to sides. Do this for 30 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Sit to stands - Sit at edge of chair with feet slightly behind knees. Stand up while keeping neck and spine erect. Do not bend forward. Immediately return to sitting, but do not put full weight on chair. Repeat 10 times.
Standing Posture Exercises:
- Arm-across-chest - Raise right arm to shoulder level in front of you and bend arm at the elbow. Keep forearm parallel to the floor. Grasp your right elbow with your left hand and gently pull it across your chest so you feel a stretch in the upper arm and shoulder on the right side. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax and repeat on other side. Repeat 10 times on each side.
- Upper-body squeeze - Stand facing a corner with arms raised, hands flat against walls, elbows at shoulder height. Place one foot ahead of the other. Bending your forward knee, exhale as you lean toward the corner. Keep back straight and chest and head up. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax and repeat for other side. Repeat 10 times on each side.
- Wall angels (a Jody Victor favorite) - Stand against wall. Feet shoulder-width apart. Gently press lower back against wall. Place back of elbows, forearms, and wrists against wall. Bring arms up and down slowly in a small arc of motion while keeping elbows in contact with wall. Flap “wings” 30 times.
- Wall slides - Stand with buttocks and back against wall. Bring feet 12” from wall. Keep back against wall! Lower down until knees are bent to about 60 degrees keeping abs tight. Raise body back up to where knees are slightly bent. Repeat 10 times.
Lying/Prone Posture Exercises:
- Side-lying shoulder exercise- Lie on floor on either side with arm resting against side. Bring hand up to ceiling and back down slowly. Repeat on other side. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each side.
- Prone scapular exercise- Lie on stomach on a pillow. Forehead resting on a rolled towel to keep neck level. Bring arms out to sides with elbows bent to 90 degrees. Lift arms up while squeezing shoulder blades together. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Posture is how you balance your body. Your body would fall forward without your muscles pulling you back. Maintaining good posture and exercising the muscles that maintain good posture will not only protect you from back pain it will improve your overall health.
All the Best!