Fix Your Posture

Tips to Improve Posture

STEP 1 TO FIX YOUR POSTURE

The first step to fix your posture is taking control of it. And, that begins by taking a simple picture.

Let’s face it, we need to know the reality of how bad or how good our posture is before we can fix it. The best way to do this is take a posture picture.  More than a selfie, your posture pictures are a head to toe view of your body from the front, from the back and from the side.

Take a Photo

It’s so easy to take a posture picture.

1. Stand up straight with what feels like good posture, but don’t look in a mirror – this is about what feels right to you.
2. Have a friend take the pictures – one facing forward, one facing away, and one facing to the side.
3. Save the pictures.

See Your Results

Firstly, on your front and back facing photos the two halves of your body should look the same. If your head and/or upper body is leaning to one side, or one of your arms is hanging lower or further from the body than the other, your posture is not balanced.

Secondly, on the side facing photo you can imagine a straight line running from your ankle through your shoulder and through your ear. If your head pushed forward of that line, you probably have a posture issue called Forward Head Posture (FHP), or tech neck.

Your posture picture helps you to identify the issues you want to address.  And, later your posture picture will come in handy as a comparison of how you look over time.  Did you undergo a posture improvement course to fix your posture? Do you see changes and improvements?  Or did you delay making the effort and now you see that your posture has declined?

Either way, your quick posture photo is setting the mark for a later comparison.

STEP 2 TO FIX YOUR POSTURE

The next step in taking control of your posture… do your posture exercises

Dedicate a few minutes each day to doing posture exercises.

This is a time to focus specifically on:

1. Strengthening the muscles that keep us upright
2. Stretching the muscles that keep us folded in a sitting, hunched position
3. Moving our body in a full range of motion, all while keeping our back in alignment, our head on straight, and controlled, steady balance.

After a few weeks you can take a follow up posture picture to see if your “posture fix” has worked.  If your body looks more balanced and your head is back in alignment with your body – these are amazing first steps! Continue with your posture training until you start feeling lighter and brighter, and more energetic and confident.

Creating a daily habit, of just a few minutes a day to focus on posture exercise and habits will keep you moving well and looking good for years to come.

Article by Certified Posture Exercise Professional, Renee North.  See the article: Dermascope Magazine – Take Your Posture Picture!