Every single time we see people walking with their backs straight, with an excellent posture that expresses confidence and health, we almost hate them. They look good and most of the times, they feel good, too. What we dislike most is the way we feel when we see that we could do better, yet we don’t.

Having a correct or incorrect posture is a matter of choice. Obviously, sometimes slouching is more comfortable then keeping your backs straight, especially after a busy day or a few hours spent sitting in front of a computer. But once you got used to slouch, it becomes extremely difficult to correct your posture.

The answer to the question “why should I even try to correct my posture” doesn’t refer only to the horrible look of a person who slouches even when they walk. It also finds arguments in the medical field. Kyphosis, scoliosis, arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic lower back pain, are just a few of the conditions that physicians deal with every day because of bad posture.

How to fix your posture

There are many things that you can do to start fixing your posture. You can wear a posture brace, you can repeat a motivational speech every morning or you can start exercising. Also, you can hang a picture of yourself slouching next to your computer screen, so that you can see how bad you look when you climb your desk.

Here are 5 things that work for sure:

  • Look in the mirror more often – and don’t look at your face. Look at your entire body and see how it looks. Is your back straight? Do you have the tendency to straighten your back whenever you see yourself in the mirror? Does your head tilt? Does it line up with your spine?

Analyze yourself, take pictures and try to understand what caused these flaws. Then, remember that everyone sees you the way you are when you’re not controlling your posture. The next step is to correct your posture and simply try to walk that way for a few minutes. If you do this exercise regularly, you will start to like yourself when you don’t slouch and keeping your back straight will become a habit.

  • Use back support or posture braces – if you’re confronting with this issue for a long time now and you remember yourself slouching as a kid, then a few simple mirror exercises won’t be enough. Depending on your diagnosis, you should either wear a posture brace or use a lumbar back support for your desk chair or your car seat.

Another thing that you can do if you’re having a serious posture problem is to start swimming or exercising in any way that can help you strengthen your back muscles. When your muscles are well-developed it becomes much easier to improve your posture.

  • Sit on your back – if you have a desk job that forces you to become best friends with your office, then you probably have bad posture and your back hurts, too. It is said that when you sit at a 135 degree angle, you put less strain on your back.

All the muscles get to relax and your head doesn’t have to tilt anymore in order to look into the computer screen. However, this means that you have to move your screen’s position a bit, as you won’t be able to see much from that distance.

This is one of the simplest solutions that can also contribute to your general wellbeing. Just observe yourself when sitting on your back. The entire body relaxes and your mood starts to change gradually, too.

  • Stretch & Exercise – when you sit down for long hours, it is almost impossible to maintain a correct back position for the entire day. However, when you work out and stretch your muscles, you strengthen your back, shoulders, core and neck. Therefore, it will be easier for you to maintain a straight back all day.

There’s more to it: the more you slouch while sitting, the greater the risk of cardiovascular disease. Also, the chance that you will breathe incorrectly, putting a lot of pressure on your lungs, is pretty high. Try to stay fit in order to avoid bad posture and its complications.

  • Choose an active sitting chair – most people probably never even heard of active chairs. These chairs, such as the swopper stool, the leaning seat, the balance ball chair, the portable seat or the freedom saddle seat, allow individuals to improve their posture. They encourage your body to move, increasing the cardiovascular activity and boosting your health and productivity.

Buy yourself a comfortable, lightweight such chair that will help you improve your seating experience and you will start feeling better already.