11 Easy Tips to Improve Your Posture and Boost Your Confidence in Just 30 Days

According to a 2019 national survey, 47 percent of people say they are concerned about their posture and its impact on their health. "I think everyone has issues [with posture] if you think about it," says Karen Joubert, P.T., D.P.T., owner of Joubert Physical Therapy, who adds to Shape that slouching can lead to fatigue, headaches, numbness, and tingling in the legs and arm, and other serious health implications like spine issues. What is good posture? According to the NLM, good posture involves maintaining, but not increasing, the natural curves of your spine at your neck, mid-back, and lower back. Here are the steps to improve your posture and boost your confidence, courtesy of Joubert and Lindsay Newitter, an AmSAT-certified teacher and owner of the Posture Police.

Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Distribute weight equally in the balls of both feet.

Gently pull lower abdominal muscles up and in, as if moving the belly button toward the backbone, to achieve a neutral spine. (Another way to picture this is to imagine slightly tucking the stomach in.)

Gently lower shoulder blades back and down as if tucking them into pants' pockets.

Adjust body so knees are pointed forward and relaxed or slightly bent. Align knees over feet, hips over knees, and shoulders over hips.

Let arms hang naturally at the sides.

Look straight forward and keep your head level so that earlobes are parallel with your shoulders. Avoid pushing your head forward, backward, or to the side.

Scratch the top of the head to bring awareness there. Picture an arrow shooting straight up from that point on the head. This visualization will help in lifting the chin so that it is parallel to the floor and in ensuring that the body is standing tall.

Start sitting with the butt touching the back of the chair and feet resting on the ground, with body weight equally distributed. If feet can't reach due to the chair height, use a footplate or an ergonomic footrest. If necessary, a cookbook or puzzle box can pass for a makeshift footrest. Knees should be at or below hip level.

Position heels directly underneath knees. Knees should form a 90-degree angle.

Align shoulders directly over hips. Keep elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.

Lower or raise the computer monitor so that it is at eye level.