1) Don’t let your trip ruin your back

According to data from the US Census Bureau, the average American travels 25.5 minutes to work each way, and nearly 10% of us spend up to an hour or more driving each way. Most of us don’t configure our car seats for proper ergonomics, so our time behind the wheel can seriously damage our posture.

Driving with your hands toward the top of the wheel tends to pull your shoulders forward, causing your chest to collapse, rounding your upper back, and leading to a hunched posture. Instead, the next time you drive to work, try the 9 and 3 o’clock positions on the steering wheel, or even 8 and 2. You will immediately notice that the low hand positions open up your chest, which encourages a straighter upper back. and a more upright driving posture.

2) Make each door a reminder to maintain good posture.

I originally read about this advice in a book by Leil Lowndes. Enter each room, even if it is empty, as if you were the guest of honor. This may sound a bit strange, but it is great advice. Use each door you walk through as a reminder to keep your head up, chin up, shoulders back, and chest slightly out. Most of us walk through dozens of doors every day, and using those doorframes as a reminder to adopt good posture is an easy and powerful technique.

3) Palms up for good posture.

This is another very basic tip, but it requires very little effort and is very effective. This is an easy way to regain good posture, especially when sitting. I do this at my desk throughout the day, because after a while in the seat, my shoulders tend to buckle forward. With your elbows at your sides, simply place your palms toward the ceiling. This simple movement can pull the shoulders back and bring the shoulder blades closer, opening up the chest and immediately improving posture. Try it right now, it really works.

4) Do shoulder rolls at your desk twice a day

Sitting at a desk eventually makes us all throw our shoulders forward, so occasionally it’s a good idea to relax them and get back into good posture. For this simple exercise, sit upright in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Shrug your shoulders and roll them back, feeling your shoulder blades sink as you do so. You should feel your chest stretch as your shoulders withdraw. Do four or five rolls, then relax and breathe. Repeat the rolls two or three times and do this exercise twice a day.

5) Raise your monitor

One of the easiest ways to improve your office ergonomic setup is to make sure your monitor is set to the correct height. If your monitor is set too low, the tendency is to tilt your head forward, and every inch your head moves forward adds 10 pounds. pressure on the neck and upper back. Using a ream of paper or two, or a monitor stand that can be purchased at any office supply store, lift the monitor up so that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor. You will notice the difference immediately and your neck will thank you.

6) Use (or do) lumbar support

Many of today’s desk chairs do not have adequate lumbar (lower back) support, and many of us have developed low back pain in addition to poor posture as a result. After sitting at your desk for extended periods of time, there is a natural tendency to lean forward, often pushing your lower back out. This unnatural posterior curvature of the spine is often the cause of low back pain. There are dozens of accessory lumbar supports available, or if you want to make your own, you can roll up a towel and use elastic bands to keep it from unrolling.

7) On your way home, use the rearview mirror trick to stay upright

At the end of a long day at work, most of us fall into our car and sit in a hunched position as we drive home, fostering a habit of poor posture. But this simple tip is a surprisingly effective way to stay upright during your trip. When you first get into your car, sit in an upright posture, with your chin up, your back straight, and your head held high. Adjust the rear view mirror so that it points correctly to this position and start driving. Over time, we all have a tendency to settle into our seats, so when your posture starts to hunch, you’ll have an instant reminder to sit down because your mirror will now point uncomfortably high. Return to the upright posture and the mirror will return to the correct position. Just an inch or so hunched over makes a surprising difference in mirror position, so use this simple tip to help you stay in good driving posture.