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How
to get a better posture?
You
can do a few things yourself and also use a chiropractor
| Summary:
Think about one physical attribute that all models and most celebrities have in common. You never have seen anybody on the red carpet walking with a slouched back. These people know how to walk: they have good posture.
This article discusses how to have a good posture. |
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Many of us spend long hours at our desk and forget about good posture. Good posture is important not only for
appearance, but also for health reasons. If we do not have good posture, we put more weight in some joints
and muscles than others and this causes pain. Bad posture affects your health, general well being, and your
appearance. If you do not have perfect posture you can improve it. It requires practice, but it is worth it.
How is your posture?
Here a guideline to evaluate your current posture.
Step on front of a mirror and observe the following:
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Are you shoulders parallel to the floor or are they inclined to any side? |
They have to be parallel to the floor and at the same level. |
| Is your
chin parallel to the floor? |
The chin has to be parallel to the floor. |
| Are your ears in line with your shoulders? |
This helps to keep the head in the right place. |
| Are your knees straight or are you locking them back? |
The knees should be relaxed and centered, not forward, and not locked-on at the back. |
| Is your head relaxed, centered, and held back (ears over shoulders)? |
If your head is forward, backward or tilted to any side it is wrong posture. |
| Do you have an arc on your chest (slouch)? |
The chest has be erect, center and a
slightly uplifted. |
| Are you arching your back forward or back? |
There is an arch in the back but is relatively moderate. If yours look bigger, you need to correct your posture. |
| Are your hips at the same level or one is higher than the other? |
They have to be at the same level. |
| Are your ankles straight? |
They have to be. |
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How to improve your posture?
Once you determine the problem with your posture that is what you need to work on. Try to correct it to get the right posture. It will take practice. You
probably have had many years of bad posture; so it will take time to make the new positions a habit. Practice and practice every time you remember and hold
the right position as long as you can. Michael Wiles,
dean of Northwestern Health Sciences University's chiropractic
program advises, "To maintain good posture, we have to be on our
feet more often. To put your body into proper posture, while
standing, tilt your pelvis so that the pubic region is lifted
slightly toward the rib cage, bend your knees slightly, tilt your
chin down slightly and move your head backward on your shoulders
without tipping your head up and down. A really quick fix is to
stand in what is considered the 'at ease' position in the
military: arms behind the body and chin slightly down, with very
slight forward lean of the torso."
Lower back pain when correcting your posture
The best thing to do when you experience lower
back pain or other pain when correcting your posture is to go to a doctor or a chiropractor to eliminate the
possibility of any other health problems. However, if you cannot go, you may try to strengthen you abdominal muscles. These muscles are the ones that help
us to keep straight and up. You can strengthen these muscles with abdominal exercises. The same exercises you do to tighten your tummy: crunches.
Yoga, Pilates and ballet exercises are probably the best way to improve your posture because they work the muscles that suffer the most from poor posture.
Swimming is also another great option. (Related
article: Bellydancing)
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Habits
to prevent aging
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