Diana Chaloux

Sit up straight! Stand up tall! Don’t slouch!

You’ve probably heard these statements plenty of times throughout your life! My grandmother even used to poke me in the middle of my back to remind me to sit up tall at the table. As a child it seemed more of an annoyance than anything I couldn’t see any reason why it made a difference whether I slouched or not!

Despite how often you may have heard, or even given these reminders, you rarely hear the explanation of why good posture is so important. Does it really even matter?

Posture simply refers to the alignment of your body. If you had perfect posture, the forces of gravity would be distributed equally throughout your body and there wouldn’t be too much stress on any one joint, ligament or muscle. Problems arise in the form of injuries, back or neck pain, poor breathing or circulation and inefficient bodily movements when you have poor posture.

Humor me and try this. Slouch your body forward, now try to take a deep breath in. You can’t do it very easily can you? Now sit up tall, keep your shoulders back and your head lifted with your chin parallel to the floor. Breathe in again. It’s easier to fill those lungs with oxygen when you have good posture, isn’t it?

There are many other perks to perfect posture. For example, you will experience less fatigue because your muscles are more efficient when used in proper alignment; you create less stress on joints and ligaments resulting in fewer injuries, less lower back and muscular pain, and improved appearance! Standing tall can even increase your confidence levels.

How can you tell if you have poor posture? Some of the most common telltale signs are an upper back or shoulders that are rounded and hunched (this condition is called kyphosis), a lower back that is excessively curved in (lordosis), your head may be jutting forward ,or when you stand, your toes may be pointing out to the sides or in to the center. As you do a little self analysis, you may find that you have more than one of these postural deviations! This is because as you develop one posture problem another part of your body compensates for the added stress. This creates a domino effect of postural deviations throughout your entire body!

Now that you are aware of your posture, let’s talk about what you can start doing today to improve it!

The first step is to get your body into proper alignment so you know what it feels like. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes pointing straight to the front. Your knees should be aligned with your ankles, keep a slight bend in the knee and avoid “locking” them. Your hips should be in line with your knees and your pelvis should be in a neutral position. If you were to imagine that your pelvis was a bowl of water, neutral would be the place where the water wasn’t spilling out to the back or to the front. Keep your abdominal muscles tight and draw your shoulders back so that they are also in line with your hips. Your ears should be over your shoulders and chin parallel to the floor.

The first time you get your body into proper alignment, it may feel strange. But in the long run, your body will thank you for the stress relief you are providing. One of the best and easiest ways to start improving your posture is simply to be aware of it! If you catch yourself slouching, stand up tall! If you find yourself rounded over your computer or steering wheel, sit up straight and pay attention to your body!

Stretching and strengthening exercises are important keys for improving your posture. For example, if your shoulders are rounded forward this typically means that your upper back muscles are weak and your chest muscles are tight. By stretching your chest and strengthening your back you can drastically improve your posture.

The answer to the question “does posture matter” is an absolute yes! The perks of perfect posture are numerous. Whether you are standing, sitting or lying down, it is important to practice proper posture in order to keep your body functioning at its best. Do your body a favor and start practicing perfect posture today!

Diana Chaloux is a certified personal trainer, fitness coach, nutrition specialist, NPC Figure Competitor and owner of Destined 2 Be Fit (www.d2bfit.com) in San Antonio. Contact Diana at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .