5 Ways To Practice Perfect Posture

Practice makes perfect, especially when it comes to improving your health and self-image. In addition to helping relieve back pain, practicing good posture can also help you project an air of confidence and self-assuredness. Here are 5 effective methods you can use when practicing good posture:

#1: Putting Your Back Against the Wall

One of the best ways to learn good posture is by standing with your back against a wall. Next, pull your shoulders directly back and then downwards. By this time, you should feel your tailbone being moved into the proper position for better posture. Make sure your feet and knees are facing forward and that your shoulders remain aligned with each other.

#2: Break Out the Ergonomic Chair

An ergonomic chair helps for maintaining good posture as you're sitting down. Designed with plenty of lumbar support and a broad range of height adjustability, these chairs are specifically designed to help you relieve stress on your back and other parts of your body.

Even if you have an ergonomic chair, you should avoid remaining seated for long periods. A recent study found that people who sit for more than eight hours a day developed a 15-percent greater risk of dying earlier than those who spent less than four hours a day seated.

#3: Strengthen the Core

Core exercises are a great way of building up the muscle strength that comes in handy for good posture. Common core exercises include abdominal crunches, single and double-leg abdominal presses and modified planks. Of course, these exercises also help trim your waistline while giving you more energy throughout the day.

#4: Change How You Sleep

How you sleep can have a big impact on your posture. Here are a few tips to consider:

• If possible, sleep on a firm mattress. If you have a bed with adjustable firmness, raise it as much as you can comfortably tolerate.
• Avoid sleeping on your stomach, since doing so can cause lower back strain and neck pain. Try other sleep positions that benefit your back while giving you a better night's rest.
• Use a pillow that can keep your head at the same level as the rest of your body as you sleep.

#5: String Theory

Here's an interesting way to practice perfect posture as you're sitting down. Grab some string and tie one end to the top button on your shirt and tie the other end to your belt buckle. The whole plan is to have string pull tautly as you sit up right. When you start slouching, the string goes lax, signaling a loss of good posture.

To learn more, contact a company like Grand Chiropractic with any questions or concerns you have.