6 Easy Ways to Improve Your Posture

The other day I happened to notice a bunch of sixth-graders standing around my daughters' schoolyard. Boy, did they look cool. With slouched shoulders, jutting hips, and necks hanging forward, they were the quintessence of today's cool. Not a single one stood erect.

But then, why should they? Not when the posture of their elders is so generally atrocious. Everywhere I go, I see adults who resemble rag dolls, and I have to stop myself from yelling out, "Stand up straight!"

Think about it. The first thing you notice about people is not their eyes, not their hair, not even their clothes. It's their posture. And it screams messages about who they are. Someone who stands erect gives off an aura of pride and self-confidence (think of Cary Grant), while someone who slumps and stoops looks like she's ashamed to be taking up space.

Yet cosmetics aren't the best reason to improve your posture. Health is. As far as I'm concerned, posture has to be considered the most overlooked aspect of fitness. What begins as merely an unsightly stance or carriage can lead to authentic health problems if not corrected.

To check your posture, stand sideways in front of a full-length mirror. Your back should be in a straight plane. Imagine a plumb line from the back of your head that touches, in turn, your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.

Now, stand with your back to a wall. Both your shoulder blades and the back of your head should kiss the wall.

If you're like most people, you won't have passed this test. And if you failed, when you sit at your computer, or watch TV, or drive, you'll probably have hunched shoulders, a rounded back and a forward-leaning head. No wonder you often complain of headaches, neck aches and backaches. Why? You haven't been properly supporting your head or spine. Instead of your musculature holding your body erect, you're relying on ligaments and bones, which weren't designed for that purpose.

Interestingly, even those who work out religiously aren't immune from poor posture. Whether you lift weights, ride a bike, run or ski cross-country, the motions involved probably don't require good posture. As far as I know, the only exercise that in and of itself can improve posture is yoga, which frequently requires you to expand your chest and pull your shoulder blades back.

But yoga's not the only cure for poor posture. My personal prescription is to strengthen your rhomboids, which are the muscles between your shoulders. Even people who lift weights rarely remember to work their rhomboids.

To locate your rhomboids, pinch your shoulder blades together. Then, to strengthen them through isometrics, pinch several times (a day) and hold for a count of five each time.

Another good rhomboids exercise can be done by sitting in a chair and leaning forward so that your chest rests on your thighs. Now, stretch out your arms and, with thumbs pointed to the ceiling, lift your arms straight up until (if you're able) the tips of your thumbs touch.

I also recommend working your spinal erectors, the muscles alongside the spine. You can do this by lying face down on your bed and lifting one leg and the opposite arm, holding for a count of 10; then lift the other arm and leg. Repeat this process three times a day.

Of course, even those with generally excellent posture benefit from some external tools. Myself, whenever I fly I immediately grab one of those little pillows to stuff behind my lower back. I do that because, no matter how erect I hold myself, I can't fight the convex curve of the airline seat, which creates a hollow area that leaves my lumbar area unsupported. The pillow makes a nice filler.

While driving, I keep my seat straight up. Tilting the seat too far back causes me to lean awkwardly forward -- which leaves the lower back in limbo and the neck contorted.

At my computer, I take care to sit with my feet comfortably on the floor, while my desk is at a height that allows me to keep my shoulders relaxed. And my monitor stares back at me from about nose height. If necessary, I use a lumbar support.

The truth is that very few people naturally sit or stand straight. The other 98 percent of us have to work at it. But work at it we should, because the payoff in terms of well-being and self-confidence is so high.

Besides, we owe it to our children, for whom we are supposed to be role models. If we slouch, so will they. But if we stand erect, we can show them what it really means to be cool. Like Cary Grant.