When I was a child, some of my older family members would tell me to stand up straight and not slouch. They probably wanted me to have good posture for appearance. However, there is research that shows good posture has positive benefits for health and poor posture can have a negative impact. Paying attention to how you move or hold your body can help prevent health problems including injuries, stiffness and pain. Some researchers believe that posture can impact your mood. The thought is that good posture produces endorphins that increase happiness.

What is posture? Posture is the position in which someone holds their body when standing, sleeping or sitting. Most of us do not give our posture a lot of attention; yet consistently having poor posture can eventually lead to health problems. Poor posture can place stress on your spine making it vulnerable to injury. It can affect your balance and increase your risk of falling. Poor posture can also cause neck, shoulder and back pain.

There are some methods for good posture. You should be thoughtful of how you are holding your body. Do not slouch. Slouching condenses your inside organs together and makes it harder for your lungs and intestines to work. Eventually that will make it difficult to digest food and breathe properly. Stand up straight, keep your shoulders back, keep your head even and tuck in your stomach. Strong abs help with posture. Consider doing workouts to strengthen your abs. When sitting in a chair rest your back on the back off the chair. Place your feet flat on the floor. I like crossing my legs; however, that is not the best position for good posture. Sleeping on your back is recommended as the best sleep position. If you need to sleep on your side bend your knees and consider using a pillow between your knees. Do not pull your knees toward your chest.

Practicing good posture is a process. Some of us have developed poor posture habits over the years so breaking them will take some effort. If you need to improve your posture start one day at a time and work your way to making good posture a daily habit.