If you're desperately seeking knowledge as to how to improve your posture, you're not alone. Thousands of Americans have bad posture, and bad posture can lead to tremendous pain, especially in the lower lumbar region of the back. This article will deal with how to improve your posture in a straightforward manner so that you can quickly and effectively improve your posture so you are not apt to feel the pain associated with having bad posture for much longer.

Non-surprisingly, one of the easiest ways to improve your posture is to look at yourself in a mirror. Our default position, while standing, is something we rarely observe. So take a look at yourself, and see what kind of alignment your body naturally goes into. You'll probably be surprised at what you see. For many, though, good posture is just a matter of understanding what not to do, and then not doing it. This is trickier than it may seem, because the body has a way of reverting to certain bad habits time after time.

If you desperately want to know how to improve your posture, take a look at yourself in the mirror. Your ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles should form a straight line, or something close to it. However, if you stand too rigid, you will look like an android, so relax your shoulders and legs slightly, but not enough to look like you're slouching, even a bit. A practiced slouch does irreparable harm to the lower back, so it's in your best interests to avoid doing it.

A good way to retain your posture, even when you are fatigued, is to transfer weight. If you, for instance, are forced to spend a lot of time standing up, you will naturally go into a slouch. Resist this desire, and instead transfer your weight to the other leg. This will be a practiced thing-after a while, it will become a natural thing for you to do. Furthermore, if ever you have to bend over, such as when you have to tie your shoelaces or lift things, be sure to bend at the hips and at the knees. If you get into the habit of bending at the waist, you are putting a lot of stress on your lower back, and probably develop a back problem.

There are many techniques that teach how to improve your posture, which range from pilates to yoga to something called the Alexander technique. Consider it exercise if you must, but techniques like this improve flexibility in the body, as well as strength, and can help you realign yourself to the point where your body will resist your temptations to get into bad postural habits.

Many people who want to know how to improve their posture are suffering from some form of back problem. Many times, this is the result of not just standing and walking incorrectly, but also sitting incorrectly. When sitting, it is integral that you sit on a high backed chair that is firm. Your hips should be as far back in the chair as your body will allow, and your knees should remain on the same level as your hips. If your knees are too high or too low, you shouldn't be surprised if you are uncomfortable. However, for many people, sitting and standing "correctly" is just as uncomfortable as the pain they experience. This is just your body breaking out of a habit. Sticking with it will ease that discomfort, and ensure that your back and legs take only the amount of stress that they were designed to.