It takes 21 days to form a new good habit, or in fact to break a bad one. The human brain and indeed our muscles are very adaptive. Experts advise incorporating good habits one day at a time, and to go easy on yourself for making mistakes along the way.
There are infinite physical and mental health benefits for keeping an upright posture, but without regular posture exercises, you might not be making enough progress to enjoy the results. Look at training your upright posture like to training for a marathon. You’d never begin day 1 trying to run the full 26 miles- you’ll start off slow, getting your body slowly adjusted to the new physical changes, and just like running, you’ll have to introduce some posture exercises. Practicing good posture isn’t just about introducing a great new habit, it’s also about strengthening your back muscles. Posture exercises help strengthen your core and spine. Start slow and practice sitting or standing straight for a few minutes a day and then gradually increase.
If you’re not completely sure that you stand straight- practice this useful posture exercise.
Find a empty wall in your house or at work and stand with your back against the wall – ensure your heels are also touching the wall. Your shoulder blades and posterior should be in contact with the wall. You should feel a gap between your lower back and the wall where there should be a natural arch, a space of about 2 inches. Next, place the back of your head against the wall and tilt your chin down a little. Think of yourself with a string attached to your head and someone pulling on the string in an upwards motion.
Try and stand like this for 60 seconds and get used to the feeling of standing tall and straight. Incorporating these posture exercises into your everyday life with help train your back and mind. Remaining mindful will help retrain your back and ultimately you’ll reap the boundless benefits of a perfect posture.
