How to Straighten Your Posture

Maintaining a good posture makes you look taller and slimmer than you actually are, and it also boosts your confidence level, according to askmen.com. Slouching and stooping are health hazards that weaken the spine and connecting muscles and ligaments, causing back pain and other skeletal disorders, womenshealthmag.com says. By incorporating simple postural guidelines, you can improve your posture as well as your overall well-being.

Things You'll Need

• Chair
• Cushion
• Pillow
• Mattress

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Instructions

• 1

  Hold your chest high and keep your shoulders and back relaxed while standing. MayoClinic.com recommends that you pull in your abdomen and buttocks and place your feet parallel to each other.

• 2

  Sit with your back firmly against a chair. If necessary, place a small cushion or rolled towel behind the curve of your lower back for lumbar support.

• 3

  Refrain from wearing high-heeled shoes as they affect your body's center of gravity and misalign the back, which in turn affects back support and resultant posture, MayoClinic.com says.

• 4

  When you go to bed, sleep on a firm mattress, resting on your back or side and not on your stomach. Place a pillow under your head to align it with the rest of your body, womenshealthmag.com recommends.

• 5

  Incorporate gentle yoga backbend exercises that strengthen back muscles that support good posture, posturesupportnet.com recommends.