There are few of us who can boast perfect posture at all times. No matter how well standing up straight appears to flatten your tummy, many of us are guilty of slouching in front of the computer monitor, or letting our shoulders hang as we shuffle into work each morning.
But bad posture isn't just about appearance; it also affects your health. According to the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, postural stress is one of the leading causes of back pain. The stress on your spine causes pressure on joints and nerves, the muscles tire and the soft tissue becomes overstretched.
"The definition of posture is basically neutral spinal alignment where there's the least amount of pressure on the spine due to maximum muscle balance and support from the connected tissue," says Maureen Hagan, a licensed physiotherapist and fitness professional.
Poor posture is caused by the shortening or overuse of certain muscles, usually caused by staying in one position for a long period of time, like sitting, says Carl Petersen, a physiotherapist in Vancouver. "Sitting for prolonged periods, especially working at home, in the garden or on a computer can cause certain muscles to shorten and tighten," he says.
The muscles responsible for keeping you upright are your core muscles, explains Hagan, who is also the vice president of operations for Goodlife Fitness clubs, and director for education for the Canadian Fitness Professionals (Can-Fit-Pro). The core group includes your abs, shoulder, back and pelvic muscles, "everything from the base of your skull to the tip of your tail," she says.
The following are just a few ways to strengthen your core and improve your posture:
1. Yoga and Pilates
"The type of training you get in Pilates or yoga really works on the postural muscles," says Hagan. Petersen adds that these two workouts are terrific for helping to improve flexibility, core and extremity strength.
Yoga poses such as upward dog (lying face-down on the floor and propping yourself up with straightened arms and your hips slightly off the ground) are a good therapeutic workout for your back, and help set you up for success with strength training such as push-ups, says Hagan. Pilates workouts like planking (imagine the top position of a push-up -- with arms straight -- held for a certain period of time) are also a good core workout, she says.
When practising yoga or Pilates, Petersen warns it's important to start slow, and continuously check to ensure you're correctly aligned and balanced.
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