On my top ten list of “items to improve on,” posture improvement would be toward the top. I admire those with great posture, the straight-backed ones that make holding their head up and shoulders back look effortless. I often don’t sit up straight at my desk, leaning forward, I tend to slouch, often allowing my spine to relax and shoulders to fall forward. Talk about a physical therapist’s nightmare.

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? In an attempt to avoid resembling Quasimodo, I thought I would test out the age old question and seek the advice of some experts on ways to improve my posture. Amanda Adamson, PT, DPT, OCS and Lisa Huber, PT, both from Lewis and Clark Orthopedic and Sports

Therapy along with Amber Jansen, PT with Peloton Physical Therapy provided me with the answers I sought out.

“The good news is that you can improve your posture at any age but it is important to work on it earlier than later,” Huber said, putting my mind at ease and giving me hope for a straighter look. The consensus among the therapists was that good posture takes practice. Jansen explained that sitting or standing, you should attempt to maintain the natural arch in your lower back. Think: ears over shoulders.

Exercises

Though there are exercises to improve posture, Adamson recommended to check with your doctor first before starting any exercise routine. First, check your own posture by standing in front of a mirror. Then attempt to allow yourself to slouch or slump forward as much as possible before standing up tall again. This will give you an idea of how much you favor bad posture. I admit, I was reluctant to do this as I didn’t

want to see how bad my posture really was. Fortunately, they gave guidance on exercises to help:

Adamson suggested the following exercises to assist in posture improvement:

• To improve neck alignment: stand or sit tall and attempt to pull your chin toward your spine, hold a few seconds. Repeat 10 times.

• To improve trunk spinal alignment: With hands on the wall at shoulder height or while on your hands and knees, practice the cat (round out your back) and camel (relax your back attempting to arch it downward). Repeat 10 times.

• To improve rounded shoulders/rounded back: squeeze your shoulder blades together by pulling your shoulders back and downward, repeat 20 times slowly.

• To improve low back posture: practice pelvic tilts while lying on your back. To get the feel for a pelvic tilt, draw your navel in while attempting to barely lift your bottom off the floor and hold 5 seconds. Make sure you are not holding your breath with this. Repeat 10 times. You can also do these while seated, once you get the hang of them.

• Remember anything that works your core abdominal or back muscles such as plank holds or superman opposite arm and leg lifts will help stabilize the spine as well. Avoid traditional sit-ups as they will reinforce a rounded spine.

Stretches

Stretching can also provide benefits in posture improvement. Jansen explained that a pectoral stretch while standing in a doorway with arms overhead and hands on a door frame can help and even various hamstring stretches can aid in good posture.

Adamson elaborated on additional stretches, suggesting the following:

• Stand with your back against the wall and make a snow angel on the wall with your arms, keeping your body against the wall. You should feel the stretch in your middle back as you repeat this 10 times.

• Gently pull your chin in toward your spine and grab the top back of your head with one hand. Gently pull forward with your hand. Hold 30 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.

• Gently pull your head to one side and hold 30 seconds. Then repeat on the other side.

Benefits and Consequences

Bad posture has many consequences. As Jansen explained, bad posture can lead to headaches, neck, shoulder and back aches and pains, tight and stiff joints, joint loss of range of motion and increase of injury.

“Poor posture results in your muscles working harder to simply hold you up,” explained Adamson. She explained that many neck and back problems result because our muscles, joints and ligaments take on so much additional strain. Surprising to me, she explained that poor posture shifts your center of gravity so it can also create poor balance and even falls, which can lead to more serious issues. And I thought I just bumped into things because I was a klutz.

“Having good posture can make you look younger,” Huber stated. “Posture aids in breathing easier, and helps you to feel better while your body is able to get the necessary oxygen and circulation for optimal health. Good posture also aids in avoidance of muscle strain, injury, fatigue and pain,” she continued.

Contributory Factors

They all agreed that getting older can aid in declining posture, not because of age but rather because of loss of strength and muscle mass, weight gain and body changes. People at sedentary jobs such as those sitting at a desk all day generally have worse posture. “The body is not meant for sitting still for long periods of time,” stated Jansen, stressing the importance of getting up to move around frequently.

Jansen described proper posture for sitting at your desk: your back should be against the chair, feet flat on the floor, knees bent to 90 degrees and ears over shoulders and shoulders over hips. Do not lean forward to see your computer screen and adjust the screen so that it is within an arm’s reach of you.

The top of the viewing screen should be at eye level.

Huber added that a person who sits at a desk for work can improve posture by standing with every phone call. She also suggested to use a lumbar roll when seated at your desk, sitting with hips slightly higher than the knees, elbows at desk height and wrists neutral while typing.

Practice Makes Perfect

Jansen suggested that it will take both time and practice to improve posture, also suggesting the following to assist in posture improvement: keep your weight down, avoid long periods of inactivity, participate in regular exercise and stretching, limit time in high heels as they alter posture, choosing heels less than 1 ½ inches tall with a wide base of support.

Adamson suggested that with society becoming more prone to sitting at a computer or a television, we are becoming less active and have less time to care for our bodies. “Feel free to call a physical therapist about your posture. There may be a simple solution with a couple stretches or exercises along with a work modification to improve your nagging aches and pains.”

As Huber stated, “Good posture has only one look, but bad posture can come in many styles!” I’ll admit, as I wrote this, my posture was in the forefront of my mind and I checked it often.

Right now, I’m sitting up pretty straight. Later, I’m sure I’ll slip (old dog) but I have a great resource right here to put be back on the right path (new trick)!