Posture is the position in which a person holds his/her body while they stand, sit, lie, or walk. A good posture aims at putting little to no strain on the muscles and ligaments while in a stationary position or while moving. Having a good posture helps you feel better and more confident, and hence, more attractive.
Posture goes beyond being more confident or attractive. It affects one’s health too. A bad standing position could hurt one’s back and cause back pains. A proper posture reduces the risk of injury by reducing the stress on the muscles and ligaments.
Just like all other postures, the standing and walking postures can be improved naturally. I have put together a few handy tips or steps on how to develop good postures for standing and walking. It may be quite difficult at first trying to get used to some of the tips, but with determination, and in time, you would be standing and walking exactly the way you should; properly.
Standing Posture
- Find your center by standing straight and tall.
- Keep your chin level with the ground, your shoulders pulled backwards, your knees straight and your stomach tucked in
- Let your hands fall naturally at your sides
- Place your feet about shoulder width apart
- Stand tall (Imagine a string pulling you up from the ceiling)
- Keep your lower back inline, and don’t move to your tiptoes
2. You can use a door or wall to teach yourself correct posture.
- Stand with your back against a door or wall
- Touch the wall with the back of your head, your shoulders and your butt with your heels about 2-4 inches away from the wall.
3. Have someone tape an X on your back to help correct your posture.
- Make an X with a tape from your shoulders to your hips
- Hold your shoulders back before taping
- Use a tape that’s used on the skin e.g. medical tape (plaster)
- In place of a tape, you can buy a posture corrector. It helps to prevent drooping.
4. Don’t keep your weight on your heels. Keep them on the balls of your feet.
- When you rest on your heels, you tend to slouch. Instead, shift your weight forward a bit, towards the balls of your feet and you find that you’re standing up straight.
- The balls of your feet are the section of your feet just slightly behind your big toes that are shaped like balls.
Walking Posture
- Walk as if you have a book balanced on your head
Walking this way would help to hold your head up and your back straight while walking. You can make use of an actual book first in order to get it right. A good walking posture is basically an extension of a good standing posture. While walking, keep your head up, shoulders back, chest out, and eyes looking straight ahead.
- Avoid pushing your head forward
Avoid shoes with high heels, as they can change your body alignment- heels put more weight on your knees. Also, heels cause you to over-arch your back and can cause back pain. By all means reduce how frequently you wear them. Heels rule for fashion, but not for posture, so, save them for the big night outs.
Wrap Up
The importance of a good posture cannot be overemphasized. A bad posture is bad for your confidence, attractiveness, and most importantly, your health. Many times, bad habits or lifestyles contribute to bad postures. For example, having too much fat around your belly would put added stress on your back, causing you to droop while standing. Follow a healthy diet, move more, adopt a good posture, and watch your health improve greatly.
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