By now, you probably know that having good posture is important -- especially if you have been diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis. But in order to work on improving posture, it is important to know what comprises good posture. Here are the basics:
- Feet about hip-width apart, facing forward or slightly turned outward, and aligned under your hips.
- Soft knees – not locked out to be straight, but not bent.
- Maintenance of the natural curves of your spine:
- Your lower back (lumbar spine) has a slight curve that from the side looks like a “backward C.”
- Your mid back (thoracic spine) curves the other way, looking like a “forward-facing C.”
- Your neck (cervical spine) curves in the same direction as the lumbar spine but to a smaller extent since the neck is a smaller area compared to the lumbar spine.
- Shoulders stacked over your hips.
- Shoulder blades pulled slightly together and down away from the ears.
- Core muscles activated and the rib cage tucked down.
- Ears stacked over your shoulders, chin parallel to the floor.
- Imagine a string pulling your head up towards the ceiling so that you stand tall.
To learn more, read the full article below.
