How to Maintain Good Posture in the Upper Body

Poor upper body posture puts stress on the muscles in your spine and can lead to potential back and neck pain as you get older. Learning, implementing and maintaining proper posture can help prevent future back problems in addition to helping you look and feel more confident. Maintaining good posture requires constant attention until it becomes habitual to you. You can practice good posture while standing, sitting or lifting objects and practice strengthening exercises to improve posture.

Instructions

When Standing

• 1

  Pull your shoulders back and push your chest out.

• 2

  Position your head so that your earlobes are directly above the center of your shoulders.

• 3

  Tuck your chin in slightly while keeping your head straight up.

• 4

  Stand with your knees straight and pull your belly button toward your backbone.

When Sitting

• 5

  Sit and place both feet firmly on the ground.

• 6

  Pull your shoulders back and push your chest out.

• 7

  Tuck your chin in slightly and keep your earlobes centered above your shoulders.

• 8

  Push your posterior to the back of the chair. Your body has a natural curvature in the lower spine or lumbar region.

• 9

  Place a rolled-up towel or small book against your back, in the lumbar region, to help maintain good posture in your upper body while sitting.

When Lifting

• 10

  Stand near the object. Widen your stance so that your feet are slightly wider than your shoulders.

• 11

  Assume proper posture and bend your knees and hips. Keep your back straight.

• 12

  Grasp the object with both hands, tighten your abdominal muscles and lift up using your leg muscles, keeping your back straight.

• 13

  Reverse this process to put the object down.