How to Improve Your Posture: 6 Effective Tips

Whether during a workout, at the office or in everyday life, there’s always that particularly confident and attractive person who captures your attention.

But when you take a closer look, you will probably notice that much of their radiance resides in their excellent posture.   

And that’s just one of the magic benefits of good posture: it also promotes your health and helps you remain fit and flexible well into old age. It keeps your muscles in balance, reduces sport-related injuries and optimizes your figure, sending out positive signals in terms of your body language. 

But don’t worry! Improving your posture doesn’t mean you have to become a professional dancer or spend your life in physical therapy. Just follow our tips and you’ll already be making huge strides in your journey toward perfect posture. 

1. Keep moving

Staying active is really the bread and butter of achieving optimal posture. Remaining in one position for too long and putting unnecessary strain on your muscles is an absolute no-go. That’s why you should use every opportunity you can to get your body in motion. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, leave the car in the garage and head to work by bike, or take more walks in the fresh air whenever you need a break. These things aren’t just good for your body, they also keep you mentally fit. 

2. Self-correct

Become your own personal trainer and correct yourself as often as possible when you notice yourself slumping in your seat. Use mirrors and store windows to quickly check out your posture and modify accordingly. At a certain point, you won’t need to actively remind yourself as your body will begin to automatically self-correct and implement good posture intuitively. 

3. Optimize at the office

Many of us spend the majority of the day at the office, and that means we’re more or less always in the same seated position. Why not add some variety? Do you have a height-adjustable desk? Super, use it! Try out various positions on your desk chair or, even better, replace it with a Pezzi ball. That way, you won’t be tempted to slump down in your chair like a wet sack. Just make sure you always bring your screen to eye level to avoid any neck problems. 

4. Tricks and tools

There are numerous resources that you can use to support yourself in achieving better posture; the previously-mentioned exercise ball is just one of them. For starters, try to be more aware in general. If you wake up with back pain every morning, for example, that’s a clear sign that something needs to change. A flatter pillow and a harder mattress can do wonders. For an immediate effect, use a back-support brace, a bandage-like apparatus worn beneath your clothes that actively corrects the position of your shoulders. 

5. Stand up straight and keep your balance

It’s also important that you learn to stand correctly. Here’s how to do it: stand with your feet hip-width apart and roll your shoulders back and down. Pull your chin back until your head rests on your neck in an upright position. Shift your weight slightly onto the balls of your feet and keep your knees ever so slightly bent. Pull your stomach in slightly and tighten your glutes. To further improve your stance, balancing exercises are perfect. They improve your posture while strengthening your core. From the “tree” in yoga to holding a minute-long plank position, balancing exercises activate all your muscles to keep you from falling. 

6. Diversify your training

Always using the same machines at the fitness studio and not stretching afterwards can quickly lead to muscle cramps and unnecessary strain. Therefore, the rule of thumb is: do a variety of different sports! The more various muscle groups you target, the better. This way, your body automatically adopts a healthy posture and cramped, stiff muscles will soon be a thing of the past. Dance classes (from bachata to ballet), yoga, functional training and martial arts are especially good for improving posture because they involve conscious and controlled sequences of movement. So take a look at the diverse sport courses in your area and get going! 

Achieving great posture is easier than you think. Just follow our tips, and your posture will soon begin to improve, becoming automatic over time. It may require a little self-discipline and persistence at first, but as soon as your body realizes that better posture really makes it feel better, it will automatically adapt. A better feeling body and higher self-esteem? Here we go!