Tips to Maintain Good Posture
We often hear that good posture is essential for good health. We recognize poor posture when we see it formed as a result of bad habits carried out over years and evident in many adults. But only few people have a real grasp of the importance and necessity of good posture.
Why is good posture important?
Good posture helps us stand, walk, sit, and lie in positions that place the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement and weight-bearing activities. Correct posture:

• Helps us keep bones and joints in correct alignment so that our muscles are used correctly, decreasing the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in degenerative arthritis and joint pain.
• Reduces the stress on the ligaments holding the spinal joints together, minimizing the likelihood of injury.
• Allows muscles to work more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy and, therefore, preventing muscle fatigue.
• Helps prevent muscle strain, overuse disorders, and even back and muscular pain.
Several factors contribute to poor posture-most commonly, stress, obesity, pregnancy, weak postural muscles, abnormally tight muscles, and high-heeled shoes. In addition, decreased flexibility, a poor work environment, incorrect working posture, and unhealthy sitting and standing habits can also contribute to poor body positioning.
How do I sit properly?

• Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest, if they don't reach the floor.
• Don't cross your legs. Your ankles should be in front of your knees.
• Keep a small gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat.
• Your knees should be at or below the level of your hips.
• Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low- and mid-back or use a back support.
• Relax your shoulders and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
• Avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time.
How do I stand properly?

• Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.
• Keep your knees slightly bent.
• Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Let your arms hang naturally down the sides of the body.
• Stand straight and tall with your shoulders pulled backward.
• Tuck your stomach in.
• Keep your head level-your earlobes should be in line with your shoulders. Do not push your head forward, backward, or to the side.
• Shift your weight from your toes to your heels, or one foot to the other, if you have to stand for a long time.
What is the proper lying position?

• Find the mattress that is right for you. While a firm mattress is generally recommended, some people find that softer mattresses reduce their back pain. Your comfort is important.
• Sleep with a pillow. Special pillows are available to help with postural problems resulting from a poor sleeping position.
• Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
• Sleeping on your side or back is more often helpful for back pain.
• If you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your legs.
• If you sleep on your back, keep a pillow under your knees.
Your doctor of chiropractic can assist you with proper posture, including recommending exercises to strengthen your core postural muscles. He or she can also assist you with choosing proper postures during your activities, helping reduce your risk of injury.
Can I correct my poor posture?
In a word, yes. Remember, however, that long-standing postural problems will typically take longer to address than short-lived ones, as often the joints have adapted to your long-standing poor posture. Conscious awareness of your own posture and knowing what posture is correct will help you consciously correct yourself. With much practice, the correct posture for standing, sitting, and lying down will gradually replace your old posture. This, in turn, will help you move toward a better and healthier body position. Your doctor of chiropractic can assist you with proper posture, including recommending exercises to strengthen your core postural muscles. He or she can also assist you with choosing proper postures during your activities, helping reduce your risk of injury.
Posture

Body Language of Legs – Sitting Positions
Homepage - Body Language Signs - Body Language of Legs - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 - Sitting Positions
Welcome to the third installment in the body language of legs series.
In the first 2 parts we discussed how standing legs reveal attitude, but the main core of leg gestures are actually done when sitting idle. In this article I'll focus on the different sitting positions, primarily those done when seated a chair.
We often can get a lot more info from seated variations of leg positions than from standing ones simply because when we sit our legs are quite... useless - we don't have anything specific to do with them; and these are the exact moments when we can easily identify all sorts of temperaments, when the legs have nothing else to do but to leak nonverbal information.
Alright, let's start with:
Indications of Interest The first group of sitting leg gestures I want to mention are the Indicators of interest. I already talked about pointing with feet in the previous articles so I only mention it again to note that it applies to sitting positions as well.In sitting scenarios it's actually even more obvious, as anyone who ever got stuck at the end of the sofa alone can tell.Another form of orienting when seated comes in the shape of the knee point - when one leg is folded under the other and the knee marks the direction of attention. | Image Source |
Don't forget leaning - it's the most direct way to show interest or lack of it.
Men - Exposing the Crotch
When we talk about sexual interest, expressive man have the "crotch display" - sitting with the legs wide apart to signal virility and availability. These men usually signal that they feel dominant, strong and even a little smug - this position takes a lot of space and exposes their groin for the whole world to see. Needless to say it can easily offend others (or on the contrary - entice them) So while it's good to show confidence, if you don't want to annoy anyone - mind the distance between your knees.
Women - Shoe play
Females have something a bit more sophisticated - the shoe play: While the shoe dangling off their foot, they remove and enter their foot back and forth into it. Such display can drive men crazy, because it reminds them of the repeated action during intercourse.
Leg over Leg
Crossing one leg over the other is a very popular way of sitting and has many variations. Women, for example, prefer the tight leg cross to emphasize their legs features. Men often use the 4 figure sitting cross leg position.
The leg over leg "standard position" is usually done with the dominant leg on top. While crossing the legs may indicate a closed and reserved attitude, it's not always so. It has a lot to do with habit and comfort. In an uncomfortable chair with no armrests, it might be more convenient to sit in crossed position and to lay the hands on the thighs.
For completely another reason, we adopt the crossed sitting position when we're cold.
Women have more trouble than man sitting in uncrossed positions mainly because their clothing often doesn't allow that (mini-skirts) or because it's an established habit. Leg StretchA very sexual display with the legs females utilize extremely effectively is the leg stretch. Sitting with one leg crossed over the other stretches the muscles and reveal smooth sexy legs.Women can easily use this flirting gesture to draw attention, especially if she's crossing and uncrossing them frequently (like in the famous scene of Sharon Stone in" Basic Instinct" for example): | |
Sharon Stone Leg Crossover:

Image Source | 4-Figure The 4 figure sitting position involves resting one foot over the thigh of the other, and it's usually much more comfortable for men than the tight leg cross. It’s a popular male leg cross, although it can be seen in some assertive and extrovert women too.In an unconscious manner it exposes the genitals and takes more space – a confident, self assured and even cocky posture. It's also a way to show competitive and challenging attitude towards the others, as if to say "I'm not impressed, try harder" |
Both Feet on the Ground
Placing both feet on the ground with a “standard” gap between them is the most basic, normal position you can think of. Just like with hands-to-the-sides posture it serves as a neutral but powerful starting point. It’s stable, focused and lacks any other nonverbal “noise” - so it’s very effective for formal and focused conversations.
I must add that placing both feet on the ground is much less common for females, who prefer the crossed leg position, either because they wear skirts or because they socially taught to sit that way.
Tension and Readiness to Action
Tension can wear many forms in body language, and it's easily exposed when we sit. When we're sit we're idle get lost in our thoughts and then our negative thoughts leak through unconscious motions. Some notable examples: | * Locking anklesEntwining the ankles is usually a signal of self restraint; It's similar to biting the lip, holding oneself from slipping another word. It can hide emotions of anger, frustration, fear or other negative emotion.Men will usually lock their ankles beneath the chair and their hands will clamp into fists or grab tightly the armchairs. Females will usually close both legs and turn them to the side while their hands rest on their knees or to their side. |

* Wrapping legs around the chair legs * The Clasp
To reinforce his position, the guarded person will not only cross his legs but will also clasp his hands around them. Like a clamp - there’s no way he’s going to open up easily. It’s a very common posture to observe in subways where strangers sit in front of each other.

* Keeping the knees together
This one is a tricky one, because while it can show a reserved and timid mindset, many females taught to sit this way for obvious reasons (skirts) and stick to this habit throughout their lives. But men have no excuse of using such display - and it’s quite rare to observe such an obvious display of insecurity. * Covering Gentiles
Covering the crotch can be done by holding the legs tight and\or crossing the hands over it.
Just like spreading the legs yells "Look at me! I'm here! I'm fertile and powerful" so covering the same area sends the opposite message "I'm unsure, tiny and timid, please don't hurt me."
Just like Adam and Eve had leaves to cover their gentiles when they felt ashamed - we mimic such behavior even when we’re fully clothed. Again, this gesture applies more to men, because females in general avoid touching or resting their hands around their crotch.
Feeling at Home In informal relaxed circumstances the variations of different leg positions is huge, after all it is informal - anyone can sit however s\he wants. Most informal positions have the tendency to be spread out and take strange forms.Placing the feet on a table is the ultimate "feel good" posture - What’s more relaxed than spreading the legs up, putting the hands behind the head and enjoy life, right? | Nothing to do but chill and stare at passerby |
Sitting on the floor
I won’t go into detail on each form, because their meanings are quite the same - they all tend to be as relaxed and comfortable as possible. Now..this is more serious..Image Source | I do want to mention the leg spread forward because it but can really affront certain people due to its idle image. Serious and sensitive situation require attention and readiness, so this lazy posture is a signal that whatever happening isn't important or interesting enough for the person who adopts it. Theeastern sitting posture is much more suited for such cases.Instead adopt the "eastern sitting" - sitting on folded legs. It's still informal but shows more involvement than previous one. |
- See more at: http://www.study-body-language.com/sitting-positions.html#sthash.YMo6kkjz.dpuf