As a practicing chiropractor for 37 years, I have heard many patients say, “I have terrible posture.” Are you aware of your posture? Do you feel like your head is too far forward and your shoulders are slumped? Do you have neck and upper back pain and suffer from tension headaches? If so, this article is for you. It will describe good and bad postures and simple tips you can use to improve your posture and health.

Let’s see the posture problems that usually occur:

· forward head posture. Our heads weigh as much as a bowling ball. If our head is placed directly on top of our body, there is very little stress on the neck and upper back. However, if our head is several inches or more in a forward position, it puts a lot more pressure on our neck and upper back. These areas must work harder to compensate for the forward head posture. This results in neck and upper back pain and stress headaches.

· Fallen shoulders. When I look at many people’s standing posture, I notice that their hands may be positioned on the front of their thighs. However, when standing with good posture, your hands should be on the sides of your thighs and hips. Ideally, we should look like a soldier standing at attention with his hands at his sides.

In the western world, the most common culprit for poor posture can be attributed to the amount of time we spend sitting. Most of us sit for long hours starting out as school students. This is aggravated by sedentary occupations. Human beings are made to stand and walk, not to sit!

It is important that we take time to get up and get moving. Taking a daily walk is a must with a sit-down job.

When we take a walk, a simple trick can be used to improve our posture. As we walk, imagine that there is a helium balloon tied to the top of our head with a string. This automatically leads us to a more upright and upright posture. We want to try to maintain this for the duration of our hike.

Another tip that we can use is to have an adjustable vertical desk where we can do our work. This type of office material allows us to sit or stand throughout the day. Even if a person is on their feet for 10% of their workday, a great improvement in posture can be achieved.

When a person comes to my office for treatment, I always assess their posture and give them stretching and strengthening exercises that they can use to improve their posture and health. There is a term in the health lexicon called “Upper Cross Syndrome.”

By exploring online sources, anyone can learn about upper crossed syndrome and consult with an appropriate health care specialist about what exercises would be appropriate to improve their posture.

It’s always fun and rewarding for me to hear someone transition from saying, “My posture is terrible” to saying, “I got a nice compliment on my good posture today.”