How to Practice Perfect Posture

It's important to maintain perfect posture because bad posture can cause your body to work improperly. Good posture will ensure that your muscles, bones and organs are where they should be so they can work to their optimum potential. A simple yoga exercise is a great way to increase muscle strength along the spine and back, which results in better posture. It's also important to know what proper posture looks like.

Instructions

• 1

  Stand up, and place your feet parallel to each other at hip width apart. When your feet are parallel, the thigh muscles keep the hips, knees and ankles in the correct, aligned position.

• 2

  Reach both hands to the sky, and feel the stretch in your spine. This stretch strengthens the muscles surrounding your spine, which helps support proper posture.

• 3

  Bring your hands down, and place them on your hips. Bring your tailbone directly over your legs. When placing your tailbone under your hips, you will feel the abdominal muscles slightly engage.

• 4

  Relax your shoulders. When shoulders aren't relaxed, they tend to hunch upward, which does not promote perfect posture.

• 5

  Keep your chin parallel to the floor while keeping your head directly over your shoulders. Holding this position ensures your head isn't dropped forward, which can cause shoulders to drop and fall forward.

• 6

  Check your posture throughout the day. Make sure your head is directly above your shoulders and not hanging over your chest. Check to see if your shoulders are in line with your ears.