Back Posture, Chair Sitting, And Correct Posture

We may consider ourselves extremely lucky for having been born in the 20th century. If we had been born in the Victorian era, it would have been well nigh impossible for us to slouch on the sofa, slump on the chaise longue, or sit around in various poses of lethargic, indolent and sluggish postures. We would have been sitting at the edge of the chair, with our backs ramrod straight, head looking straight ahead, with absolutely no give to our spinal column. While this may have done wonders for our posture, we'd likely neither feel nor look relaxed by modern standards.

This postural training, once an integral part of a cultured upbringing, has unfortunately vanished from the lessons we teach our children. Watching TV while lounging limply on the sofa with the upper torso slumped harmfully forward is often not corrected whereas once it would have been, is often the norm rather than the exception, and we carry these habits with us into adulthood. 

Fortunately, posture training does not require the pain or intense employed throughout Victorian times, and need not be enforced through societal pressure to be effective. A simple exercise regimen of only ten minutes per day can create vast improvements in your posture, reduce back pain and increase confidence, completely naturally and without drugs or surgeries. No one else even needs to know that you're doing it. You can have great back posture, chair posture, and standing posture.

So to make sure that our neck and spine do not suffer over much in the future because of our bad posture during our childhood and youth, we have to look at the best way in which we can improve our posture, especially when we are sitting on sofas or in chairs.

Begin to improve your posture the moment you sit in your chair. Lift your head high, but not so high that your neck is strained. It should be possible to draw a straight line between the tip of your chin and the top of your lap. By adopting this position, the head is oriented as it naturally should be relative to the spinal cord.

Next, focus on your shoulders. Many people chronically elevate them toward their ears, placing unnecessary tension on the spinal cord. Lower your shoulders away from your ears, letting them relax into a more natural pose. This in turn will likely elevate your chin even further.

Now is the time for your spinal column to straighten itself, neither backwards nor forwards. It should be vertical.

Now, tuck in your stomach. This not only helps improve your appearance by making the stomach less noticeable, but also tones muscles that support the upper torso. To tuck the stomach, imagine drawing your breath for a three count. The muscles used to accomplish this are those you must activate to provide the correct upper torso support required for good resting posture.

You would not want to put lots of pressure upon your tailbone, would you? That is why it is necessary to make sure that you tilt the pelvic region forward so that it takes on a portion of the body's weight. This tilting is also going to ascertain that you sit upon the right pelvic bones.