At the age of 14 I began ballroom dancing. I was tall so I danced on the Standard Team. Standard dances are the smooth, graceful ones with the big, pretty dresses (Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, etc). As a dancer, posture was absolutely vital.
In college, I became a writer. And my posture was destroyed. Yes, I spent countless hours staring at my computer screen, typing away. I developed a slouch and my neck and shoulders never felt happy.
And so, I began my quest to regain posture. Here is what I learned:
Take the Test:
Sit or stand normally, now drop your chin toward your chest and take a breath. Now stand or sit up straight and take another breath. Notice anything? Hopefully.
Now ask yourself these questions:
1. By the end of the work or school day, are your neck and shoulders more tired than the rest of your body?
2. Are your shoulder muscles rock hard?
3. Does a neck and shoulders massage just make your day?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then we are on the same quest.
In an article from Psychology Today, Catherine New shares that “Sitting at a badly arranged workspace, for example, tilts the torso forward, placing extra tension on the spine and causing it to curve. Your muscles then adjust to this newfound position. From there, chest muscles shorten and abdominal muscles weaken, while back muscles stretch and overextend. Also, this posture can compress and contribute to the breakdown of cartilage between your vertebrae. Over time, this can contribute to osteoarthritis. In short, ‘our bodies weren't designed to sit all day,’ says Tammy Bohne, a chiropractor in New York City.”
Slouching also puts extra pressure on our lungs and heart, making them work harder and stealing our much needed energy.
There are two things that need to change now: habits and exercise. Luckily, posture is something that can be strengthened through daily exercises and good habits.
Exercises
Try these on a regular basis:
1) Stand straight, tighten your stomach, and lift one knee up at a right angle to your body. Hold it for 30 seconds or less, bracing on a wall if needed. Then repeat the exercise on the other side. It helps restore balance to the body and strengthen the core.
2) Maintain a slight tension at your belly button, pulling it toward your back. Think about sucking your belly button to your spine. This tightens the abdominal muscles to support your rib cage. And it makes you feel skinnier, bonus.
3) Stretch your chest. Face a wall and lift one arm up at a right angle against the wall, turn your body away while your arm is still against the wall and feel the stretch across your chest. Hold for a few moments then switch sides.
4) Strengthen your back muscles. Hold your arms in front of you, with your hands in loose fists. Pull back and squeeze the shoulder blades together.
Habits
Now, here are some habits that will help you stay focused on your goal of better posture:
1) Change positions every 15 minutes; sitting or standing in one position too long tires the muscles.
2) Keep your chin parallel to the ground to keep the head in line with the spine and take stress off the neck.
3) Wear supportive shoes like and take a break from heels to help the spine align.
4) Sleep on a firm mattress.
5) Maintain a healthy weight since extra pounds strain abdomen muscles.
6) Don't overload yourself with a heavy bag worn over one shoulder. Find a good fitting, double-strapped backpack and don't overload it.
7) Don't cradle your phone receiver between your neck and shoulder.
8) Be aware of your posture. The more familiar you are with proper alignment, the easier it is to maintain.
9) Get into the habit of going through a quick posture drill every time you hang up the phone, or set an alarm to remind yourself.
In an article from Psychology Today, author Katie Gilbert shared that Paula Niedenthal, a psychology professor at Universite Blaise Pascal in France who has conducted posture and emotion research said, “’People with their chins down and their shoulders rounded are going to be less receptive to potentially good information.’ So sit up straight when receiving praise to intensify the glow.”
“Studies of posture and its effect on emotions have shown that by consciously assuming a confident or cheerful physical stance, you can empower your inner optimist”—that means posture. When you feel on top of the world you stand up and raise your chin. Let’s get there together.
Read more:
Natural Health’s “Make One Change: Get it straight”
Psychology Today’s “Straight Up: Don’t Be a Slouch”
Psychology Today’s “Mind Your Body: Taking a Stand”
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