7 ways you can improve your posture right now.

Your posture tells a lot about you. It reveals part of the story of your life that can't be hidden, it is on display for all to see. Your posture is how you present yourself to the world. Some postural issues are genetic and there isn't very much we can do about it but most of our posture comes from what we do and have done on a daily basis throughout our lives. If you spend the day slumped in front of a computer and then the night slumped in front of the TV it is no stretch to imagine your posture will be well… slumped. Likewise if you stretch regularly, go the gym and live an active life then it is highly likely you will have upright, balanced posture.

If you want to improve your posture (and who doesn’t) then here are 7 ways you can help to improve your posture right now:

1) It sounds basic but sitting up or standing up straight right now is one of the main things you can do to improve your posture. One of the main influencers of your posture is self awareness. If you are aware of how you are standing or sitting then you can understand if it is not perfect and then change it. Try to check in with yourself regularly throughout the day to see what your posture is like and then correct it. Notice your regular tendencies and see how you can change them, treat it like a game and a challenge.

2) Use a foam roller to stretch out your chest and extend your thoracic spine. This will help to counter the effects of a slumped forward posture.

3) Breath deeply and slowly. You can't take full deep breaths if you are sitting slumped in a chair so if you breath in deeply right now you will naturally sit up straighter. You will also be able to notice if this breath is restricted by your collapsed posture.

4) Taking up a strengthening regime to improve your posture is one of the best things you can do. Whether it is Yoga, Pilates or getting a personal trainer working to stretch out the shortened overused areas at the front of the body such as the Pectoralis, Abdominals, Hip flexors and neck flexors as well as strengthening the weak and underused muscles of the back such as the Erector Spinae, Rhomboids, Mid and Lower Trapezius and Latissimus Dorsi.

5) Move regularly. The body wants to move. We evolved by moving and we have a pretty amazing body that can do all kinds of awesome things. Having a sedentary life means that you are going against your nature and invariably end up with a sloppy and weak posture.

6) Did I mention awareness??? You can even as your partner, kids or workmates to let you know when you are slumping. This can be annoying at first but if you turn it into a game and everyone is involved then we call all help everyone have great posture.

7) Regular soft tissue work to release the tightened, adhered and overused tissue can be just the ticket to unravel your slumped posture and release you into your amazing upright posture.

One of our biggest traits being human is our erect, upright posture. To remain human we need to end the slump and stand up straight. Having good posture has many documented health benefits leaving you feeling great and also looking more confident and healthy. Also if we keep slumping we may all end up devolving back into monkeys.