With awareness and effort, great improvements can be made in terms of an individual’s posture and body mechanics. Inevitably, poor postural habits will creep into your everyday life at some point. For example, while typing now, I feel myself having to straighten up in my chair and stretch to reverse my slouched posture. It feels better to stretch and undo the stress on the spine. A key to decreasing postural strain is to frequently change your position or activity. The shorter period of time spent performing the same task, the less likely your muscles will fatigue, and the less chance you have for injury. Try to change your position at least every half-hour and take stretch breaks. If you easily lose track of time, you may find it helpful to set an alarm to remind you to change your position.

There are two postural exercises I recommend. The purpose of these stretches is to undo, or reverse the tendency for the spine to be slouched. I recommend you perform these once or twice daily. If you have a job that requires you to be in any one position for long periods of time, it is recommended you perform these exercises several times throughout the workday.

Wall Posture Exercise

Stand with your head, shoulders and back against a wall with your feet shoulders width apart, about 12 inches from the wall. Bring your arms out to your sides with your palms facing away from the wall. Do a pelvic tilt to press the lower back into the wall. Press your thoracic spine and shoulders against the wall without letting your lower back move away from the wall. Next, press the back of your head back into the wall, without tilting your chin up or down. You should feel a stretch along the entire spine if you do this correctly. Hold the stretch for15-20 seconds, and repeat 3 times.

Once this exercise gets easier, raise your arms higher overhead to challenge yourself. You can also bring your feet closer to the wall. The wall posture exercise not only stretches the postural muscles, it also strengthens them as you try to maintain the position.

Chin Tuck

The chin tuck exercise helps to reverse the tendency most people have to allow the head jut forward. The goal is to bring the head back into alignment over the spine, so the ears line up over the shoulders. It is best to practice this exercise in front of a mirror to assure that your form is correct. Stand with your spine straight. Pull your head straight back, without tilting your chin up or down, and try to make a double chin. Your jaw should remain relaxed. You will feel the muscles along the back of the neck stretching. Hold the chin tuck for 3-5 seconds and relax to the start position. Repeat 10 times. The chin tuck is an easy exercise to do at stop lights or when stopped in traffic (never when driving), as many people tend to sit slouched and tense up when dealing with the stress of their commute. The chin tuck will help improve posture and decrease muscle tension.