For better posture, take a seat

Do you remember how you sat cross-legged on the floor as a child? At some point, we graduated from sitting on the floor to sitting in chairs, which can encourage bad posture. As often as possible, take a seat on the floor and follow these guidelines to release tension in your hips and groin and strengthen your core muscles. Good posture supports your spine and helps to prevent chronic aches in your back, neck and shoulders.

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1 Assess your default sitting position. Do you have rounded shoulders with a sunken chest? Check to see if your weight is unevenly distributed between the right and left sides of your buttock bones. If so, make a point to sit with equal weight on each side of your buttocks. Avoid rolling back on your tailbone and slouching forward.

2 Sit upright, lining up the bottom of your ears with the top of your shoulders. Feel your spine stretch upward from the sitting bones to a point above the top of your head. Allow your shoulders to drop down away from your ears as you slightly pull in your abdominals. Keep your breastbone lifted without arching your lower back too much or protruding your rib cage. Practice sitting in this position and focus on good alignment for one to three minutes a day.

Karen Voight can be reached at [email protected].

-- Karen Voight