Align Your Spine: Tips for Better Posture

By:
Abbey Goodman

So you've been strutting around like a peacock, shoulders back, breasts out, though admittedly more for the male attention it garners than the health benefits it bestows. The good news is that, where posture is concerned, what makes you look good is also good for you. Standing up straight not only imparts a look of self-confidence, but good posture also keeps you from those all-too-familiar knots in your neck and back. Plus, keeping yourself slouched over and scrunched up creates more serious problems, like muscle imbalance, joint dysfunction and negative emotional state ‑- not to mention a serious lack of dates. Keep yourself standing tall and looking good with these tips on how to align that spine from six posture-perfect experts:

Terry Eagle, Chiropractor, Long Island, New York
Oftentimes, posture cannot be improved if there are spinal misalignments preventing you from standing correctly. Parents usually attribute poor posture to laziness, but this is not the case 99 percent of the time. Exercises, in conjunction with spinal manipulation can help. A good one is to stand with your back and heels against a wall. Lift your shoulders up and roll them back and down to touch the wall, with your head against the wall all the while. I recommend doing this one during television commercials. Large exercise balls are also wonderful to stretch both forward and backward on. Hanging from a chinning bar is also good. If you slouch, you must concentrate on holding in your abs. Try it. Slouch a bit and then hold in your belly ‑- it automatically causes the spine to elevate and helps you stand up straighter.

Joyce Spindel, Massage Therapist and Colon Hydrotherapist, Chakra 17, New York City
Yoga. Yoga. Yoga. And stretching! I find that various forms of bodywork ‑- aside from massage ‑- are extremely complementary to posture health. Rolfing is phenomenal. If you are unable to afford it, you can purchase a mini body bridge, which provides a perfect means of stretching the spine and encouraging circulation. Just lie down on this arch-shaped support, and you will immediately feel the elongating effects.

Also, I cannot speak highly enough of expertly designed footwear like MBT shoes. In addition, exercising on a trampoline is one of the easiest ways to improve overall body strength, which supports healthy posture. It does more than just work our muscles; it stimulates cellular activity and also tones and cleanses the cells. All organs, veins, capillaries, connective tissue and bones are strengthened. Plus, it requires only 10 minutes a day to receive benefits.

Posture is often underrated. These various suggestions are all investments in improving and maintaining posture, which can be a barometer for our overall health.

Liliya Aronov, Ballerina, New York City
Good posture comes from a sense of your inner self and realizing where your center is. You're supposed to be able to draw a straight line from your head to your toes, meaning that if you stand in profile, it will be straight up and down with no bends anywhere. The torso is supposed to be directly above the hipbones so the shoulders are in line with them. Your head should be in the same line, not tilted back. Usually, people arch their backs too much, which can lead to back and knee problems, so hold your stomach in so that your back is as flat as possible. Also, you should keep your body weight on the toes, not the heels. As dancers, we set it up a little tighter, so we also hold our butts in with our tailbones down, but I don't think that's necessary for a regular person.

Caroline Bergenström, Physiotherapist, Nordic Wave Institute, Geneva, Switzerland
Waking up, your pets stretch and yawn before getting into action, why don't you? Set your alarm clock 10 minutes earlier in the morning and enjoy that extra time to feel your body waking up horizontally before getting up.

When you bend over the washbowl to brush your teeth, bend your knees slightly, especially when you straighten your back at the end. When you bend over to grab your shoes, lean forward with a straight back and flex your hips. Hips are made for that: bending. Your lower back doesn't have the same range. Plus, bending over like that means pushing your behind out, which is not always very elegant! During the day, wear shoes with shock-absorbing soles. When you stand, keep your knees unlocked, by which I mean avoid full extension. You should always be able to straighten them more if asked to do so. If you can't, that means they are passively locked and therefore your lower back will absorb all the tension. When you sit, stay higher than your knees or sit on the ledge of your chair to allow movement of the knees. This allows your pelvis and lower back to move more freely. At the end of your day, put your answering machine on, don't answer the door and relax your spine. Lie down on a nice carpet with your knees bent in order to allow your spine to rest easily on the floor. Stay there for 10 minutes.

Robin Thompson, Owner, Etiquette-Network.com, the Robin Thompson Charm School, Pekin, Illinois
The old saying "clothes make the man" should be "posture makes the man or woman, not the clothes!" Proper posture is part of your wardrobe. Wearing a $5,000 designer suit won't help your appearance if you slouch over with hunched shoulders. You can buy clothing, but you can't buy class.

Do you check your posture in the morning? I doubt it. The best way is to stand in front of a full-length mirror in your underwear or nothing at all. Are your shoulders back or hunched forward? Do you slouch? Your mother's advice still holds true: Stand and sit straight and tall. When you practice doing that, you appear confident, like someone who has it made.

Are babies born with good posture? Can they sit up and walk? No, it has to be learned. The key to good posture is to make it a habit. Keep that chin up with your head erect and held back. Tilting your head down makes your neck disappear. But don't stick your nose in the air. You look stuck up. Keep your shoulders back, but relaxed. This automatically lifts your chest. Think tall. Toes should be pointed straight ahead, feet close together. Don't waddle like a penguin or walk like a duck. Keep your arms close to your sides, palms in, elbows slightly bent. Fingers are relaxed, never clenched tightly or pulling on your clothing.

Audrey Hepburn was known for her poise and posture. According to her biographer, her grandmother tied her neck to the back of her chair at the table so that she wouldn't slump over her food, but rather put small amounts on her spoon or fork and bring them up to her mouth. In My Fair Lady, her character Eliza Doolittle learned similar lessons. Remember how unladylike she was at the beginning? But look at how beautiful and graceful she was at the ball.

Deborah Read, a.k.a. ErgoGirl!, Occupational Therapist and President, ErgoFit Consulting, Seattle, Washington
Stand up and slouch as best you can. Come on, a full and lazy slouch with your back bent, your shoulders rounded and forward, and your head forward and down. Now your arms should be hanging in front of your torso. So, keeping this perfect slouch, try to lift your arms over your head without changing any other parts of your body. Hard, isn't it? Much harder than if you stand tall and raise your hands overhead. It takes much more effort to accomplish the same thing when you don't have good body positioning, or posture.

Sometimes we're born with poorly aligned bones and, therefore, poor posture, but the majority of us acquire it over time by assuming poor repetitive working postures and not strengthening the opposite muscle groups. The good news is that some poor postures are reversible... to a degree. For example, one of the most common postural problems we see in our country is forward head and rounded shoulders. When you stand up, a plumb line should fall from about your earlobe straight down through your shoulder joint, and then straight on down through the low back at the spine. If your head or shoulders are forward of this plumb line, you have this postural problem.

So, here are two of my favorite stretches and strengthening exercises for poor posture. It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway: You should stop if these cause you discomfort or if you know your medical provider doesn't want you doing them.

Hi 10
In a standing position, sweep your hands forward and up slightly overhead, rotating your hands past your head with your elbows forward. Keeping that arm position, squeeze your shoulder blades down and back as if you were pinching a pencil between them at about bra-strap level. You should feel a mild stretch to the front of the shoulders and the chest. Hold this for 5 to 10 seconds and repeat 3 times.

Resisted Chin Tuck
Standing with clenched teeth, interlace your fingers and place them against the back of your head. Glide your entire head back into the resistance of your hands, holding your hands stationary without allowing the face to tip up or down. Try to relax your shoulders. Yes, this will give you a double chin. You should feel some mild discomfort anywhere from the base of your skull to the mid-back area. Hold this for 5 to 10 seconds and repeat 3 times.