How To Improve Your Posture

When discussing posture, we’re often referring to the overall position of your body as you stand, sit, or lie down. Most experts would agree that a "good" overall posture involves physical positions that reduce stress on the body by balancing the load placed on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine. If you've looked in the mirror and noticed that your posture doesn't look as balanced as you'd like - not to mention, doesn’t feel as balanced as you’d like - you may be wondering what you can do to improve it.

Why it Matters:

One of the best ways to improve your posture is through motion. Changing positions frequently during the day, stretching, and specific postural exercises are all ways to improve your posture. Good posture helps you keep your bones and joints in proper alignment, which helps reduce the wear and tear on your joints and decrease the strain on the ligaments that support your spine.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Good posture means keeping your spinal curves aligned and weight evenly distributed.

• Stretches and exercises can help improve your posture and reduce your risk of neck and back pain.

• Standing desks have been shown to reduce back pain by over 30% when compared to sitting at a desk.

Next Steps:

When creating a plan to improve your posture, remember that stretching and exercising are essential. Equally important is knowing where to start. Our postural and movement assessments can help you determine the best strategy to help balance and improve your posture, especially if you’ve been living with pain. It all starts with a phone call. We’re standing by and ready to help!

Our favorite posture exercises:

Poor posture is something we see every day in our chiropractic office in Centennial, Colorado. Schedule an appointment today to see how we can help you get back in action!

Remember: these exercises are for demonstrative purposes only and if you are having pain or limitations, be sure to get checked out by a qualified healthcare provider.

THORACIC SPINE PEANUT

This hurts so good! A lot of people with poor posture benefit from improving thoracic mobility. This is a great way to do that. Take two lacrosse or tennis balls taped together and lay on it so that your spine goes in the groove between the two balls. Next bridge up slightly to increase pressure as tolerated. Now move your arms overhead and diagonally across the body. Roll the ball up your back about 2 inches and repeat! This one can be very intense so be sure to go slow and listen to any signals your body may be trying to send out to you.