It’s so simple it’s silly
My dad used to stick a butter knife in my back to remind me to sit up straight at the dinner table.
He wasn’t wrong, but there’s a new way to get good posture, and it’s unbelievably easy. I recently attended a seminar by the Physio Detective Antony Lo (physiodetective.com). We spent a lot of time analyzing various movement patterns—his attention to detail is astounding, and his blog chronicles a lot of these insights. It’s worth subscribing (free).
But the simplest takeaway? All you have to do for good posture is align the breastbone with the pubic bone.
Go ahead, place a hand at each spot. Are they in line? If not, adjust your posture until they are. Now relax, but in that position. That’s your optimal posture.
As you try to correct your posture, it’s exhausting to try to hold yourself in a position that feels unnatural. So hold the new, better posture for 5-10 minutes, then take a rest. If you’re sitting, your chair has a back “rest” for a reason.
Image: Some rights reserved by CarbonNYC