Practice Good Posture

Good posture matters! Poor posture can lead to musculoskeletal pain, particularly back and neck pain. It's also been shown that poor posture can lead to other health ailments, including depression, constipation and even poorer circulation. Here are some tips to help you stand up straight, courtesy of Dr. Steven Weininger and his project PostureMonth.org.

• Take two pictures - one being a front view and one a side view. (Don't take a selfie - ask someone to help you with this!)
• Look at the front-facing picture. Is your head centered over your feet? Are your shoulders level, and do both thumbs face forward?
• Look at the side view. Can you draw a straight line through your ear, shoulder, hips and ankle?

Now that you are "posture aware," it's time to work on straightening up! Here are just a few tips to help improve your posture.

• If you're like most office workers sitting in front of a computer all day, be mindful - most people sit with their legs crossed or with one leg tucked underneath them. Consciously spend more time with both feet planted firmly on the ground.
• Practice good balance - stand tall and straight. Slowly, raise one leg until your thigh is parallel to the floor. (Don't wave your arms around - if you need help balancing, reach out to touch a wall or a chair.) Repeat on the other side.
• Get up and move - most of us sit way too often during the day. Set a few times throughout your day to get up and move around. Walk while talking on the phone. Instead of emailing a coworker, get up to go chat in person.

For more tips and advice, click here to find a chiropractor near you.