1) Don’t let your commute break your back
According to data from the US Census Bureau, the average American commutes 25.5 minutes each way to work, and nearly 10% of us spend an hour or more driving each way. Most of us don’t set up our car seats to be ergonomically correct, so our time behind the wheel can seriously hurt our posture.
Driving with your hands on top of the steering wheel tends to push your shoulders forward, causing your chest to sink, rounding your upper back and causing a stooped posture. Instead, the next time you drive to work, try the 9 and 3 o’clock positions on the steering wheel, or even 8 and 2 o’clock. You’ll immediately notice that the low hand positions open up your chest, which encourages a straighter upper back and a more upright riding posture.
2) Make every entry a reminder to maintain good posture
I originally read about this advice in a book by Leil Lowndes. Walk into every room, even if it’s empty, like you’re the guest of honor. This may sound a bit strange, but it’s great advice. Use each door you walk through as a reminder to keep your head up, chin up, shoulders back, and chest slightly out. Most of us walk through dozens of doors every day, and using those doorways as a reminder to adopt good posture is a powerful and easy technique.
3) Palms up for good posture
This is another very basic tip, but it requires very little effort and is highly effective. This is a simple way to regain good posture, especially when sitting. I do this at my desk all day, because after a while in the seat, my shoulders tend to slouch forward. With your elbows at your sides, simply place your palms facing the ceiling. This simple movement can pull your shoulders back and bring your shoulder blades closer together, which opens up your chest and immediately improves your posture. Try it right now, it really works.
4) Do shoulder rolls at your desk twice a day
Sitting at a desk eventually causes everyone to slouch forward, so every once in a while it’s a good idea to loosen them up and get back into good posture. For this simple exercise, sit upright in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Shrug your shoulders and roll them back, feeling your shoulder blades drop as you do so. You should feel your chest stretch as your shoulders pull back. Do four or five laps, then relax and breathe. Repeat the rolls two or three times and do this exercise twice a day.
5) Raise your monitor
One of the easiest ways to improve the ergonomic setup of your office is to make sure your monitor is set at the correct height. If your monitor is set too low, the tendency is to tilt your head forward, and every inch your head moves forward adds 10 pounds. of pressure in the neck and upper back. Using one or two reams of paper, or a monitor stand that can be purchased at any office supply store, raise the monitor so that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor. You will notice the difference immediately and your neck will thank you.
6) Wear (or get) a lumbar support
Many of today’s desk chairs do not have adequate lumbar (lower back) support, and as a result, many of us have developed lower back pain, as well as poor posture. After sitting at your desk for long periods, there’s a natural tendency to lean forward, often pushing your lower back out. This unnatural posterior curvature of the spine is often the cause of low back pain. There are dozens of accessory lumbar supports available, or if you want to make your own, you can roll up a towel and use some elastic bands to keep it from unraveling.
7) On the way home, use the rearview mirror trick to stay upright
At the end of a long day at work, most of us fall into our car and sit in a slouched position while driving home, fostering the habit of poor posture. But this simple tip is a surprisingly effective way to stay upright while traveling. When you first get into your car, sit in an upright posture, with your chin up, back straight, and head held high. Adjust the rear view mirror so that it is correctly oriented for this position and start driving. Over time, we all have a tendency to settle into our seats, so when your posture starts to slouch, you’ll have an instant reminder to sit down because your mirror will now be pointing uncomfortably high. Return to the upright posture and the mirror will return to the correct position. Just an inch or so of slouch makes a surprising difference in mirror position, so use this simple tip to maintain good driving posture.