9 Best Ways to Improve Posture and Avoid Back Pain for Good

Jan 4, 2025

woman exercising -  Ways to Improve Posture
woman exercising -  Ways to Improve Posture

Slouching through another workday? You’re not alone. Poor posture is an epidemic in our modern society; correcting it can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, there's hope.

In this guide, we will explore the best ways to improve posture so you can eliminate back pain and get on with your life. We can help you achieve lasting posture improvement with practical, easy-to-implement strategies.    

A straightforward way to start your journey to better posture is to leverage Posture AI, an innovative posture app that provides personalized posture correction feedback. With this app, you can take targeted steps to improve your posture, eliminate back pain, and eliminate those pesky slouching habits for good. 

Table of Content

Why Is Good Posture Important?

women exercising -  Ways to Improve Posture

You probably know by now that good posture is essential. Improving your body position can help you avoid tension, fatigue, and strain on your tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Advice to improve your movement, fitness, and overall health from the world's #1 in orthopedics. 

“Our body’s position and alignment significantly impact the way we feel,” says HSS physical therapist Astrid DiVincent, PT, DPT, OCS. “If we spend our waking lives in poor positions, it will eventually affect our ability to do the things we love to do, whether it’s playing a sport or doing something less active like reading or knitting.” Here are six things you should know about good posture and how to maintain it. 

What is Good Posture?

Good posture is essential, whether standing, sitting, or lying down. Posture refers to the body’s alignment and positioning. Long-term “bad” posture—in which the spine and/or limbs are out of alignment—leads to problems with the muscles and bones, which are caused by stress from gravity. Eventually, you will develop pain, soreness, and stiffness throughout your body, affecting your daily functioning. 

“As a physical therapist, posture is usually the first thing I look at when I evaluate someone,” DiVincent says. “It's almost impossible to treat any issue without at some point addressing the position that the person holds their body in all day. It’s really fundamental to a lot of different conditions and injuries.” Any time you’re holding your body in a position that’s not optimized, you’re risking strain and injury. 

Exercises for Good Posture

There are simple exercises you can do to correct your posture. “There are a few important exercises you can do that will make you more mindful of how your body is aligned,” DiVincent says. The most common posture problem when sitting is called upper cross syndrome. In this arrangement, the head is bent in a forward position. The upper spine is rounded, curving outward at the upper back and shoulders, and the shoulders are hunched toward the ears. 

Posture check

Sit with your feet flat on the floor. Tuck your chin and move your head back. Lower your shoulder blades and pinch them together on your back. When standing, lower cross syndrome can lead to pain in the lower back and legs. The lower back is arched in this position, and the pelvis is tilted forward. This position leads to weak abdominal (stomach) and gluteal (butt) muscles. The thigh, calf, and hip muscles may become very tight. 

Posture check

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Position your knees over your ankles and make sure they’re not locked. Hold your pelvis in a neutral alignment. Move your head and shoulder blades back. Poor posture can also cause back pain and muscle strain when lying down. 

Posture check

If you’re a side sleeper, put a pillow between your knees and a thicker pillow under your head. If you’re a back sleeper, put a pillow under your knees. Use an average-size pillow and ensure it’s under your head, not your shoulders. Avoid sleeping on your stomach, which can strain your back and neck. Using good posture when getting in and out of bed is also essential. Bend your knees, roll to your side, slide your legs off the edge of the bed, and use your arms to push up to sit. 

Strengthening and Stretching for Good Posture

For good posture, it’s vital to both strengthen and stretch your muscles. “Stretching and strengthening have vastly different purposes but are equally important,” DiVincent says. Stretching is helpful for tissues that have gotten short or tight because they’ve been held in the same position for too long. Strengthening, on the other hand, involves regularly contracting the muscles, which helps to make them stronger. 

“When you’re physically stronger, you can hold more load,” she adds. “In this case, the load refers to the weight of your own body.” Each of these forms of exercise can make the other one more practical: It’s challenging to strengthen your muscles if you don’t have the flexibility to do the needed exercises, but strengthening without stretching will lead to more tightness and pain. 

Stretching and Posture

Stretching your muscles benefits your posture in many ways. Tight muscles can lead to imbalance, in which some muscles are short and intense, and others are long and weak. It can cause pain not only in the muscles themselves but also in the joints and nerve tissues. Tight muscles increase the risk of strain injuries. With stretching, it’s essential to differentiate between a little bit of pain, which means you’re activating your muscles, and pain, which means you’re pushing them too far. “You need to ensure you’re not injuring yourself while stretching,” DiVincent says. 

Guidelines for stretching

Stabilize one end of the area that you’re stretching. For example, if you’re stretching your hamstring, keep your hip stable and move your leg out; if you’re stretching your calf, keep your heel in one place and lean your body weight forward to feel the stretch. Relax the muscles as you stretch. Check your alignment. Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat two to three times. Don’t forget to breathe! 

Strengthening Muscles for Good Posture

Strong muscles are key to maintaining good posture. Strengthening should be a part of your daily routine to maintain proper posture. Weak muscles put joints and other tissues at risk of injury and make it difficult to maintain an appropriate posture. Several things can cause muscle weakness, including injury, immobility, neurological conditions, nerve entrapment, and arthritis. 

When you do exercises for strength, focus on key areas of your body, including your shoulders and upper back, core, hips, and legs. Strengthening work should lead to muscle fatigue but not pain. “Mild muscle soreness is normal and appropriate after strengthening,” DiVincent says. “But it’s a good idea to give your muscles a rest day in between exercises.” 

The Importance of Movement for Good Posture

One of the best things you can do to maintain good posture is to move often. “No posture is good for too long a period of time,” DiVincent says. “You may have the best ergonomic situation possible, but if you sit at my desk for 10 hours a day, you’re going to have pain.” She recommends that people check their posture every 15 minutes and get up to move around every half hour or so.

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9 Best Ways to Improve Posture

woman exercising -  Ways to Improve Posture

1. Get Moving to Build Strength and Stability

Exercise is one of the best ways to improve your posture, Grande says. “I promote combining different exercise routines to strengthen your body and maintain proper alignment.” Weight-bearing exercises, like walking or running, help build bone strength. This is especially important for post-menopausal women who may develop severe postural changes from osteoporosis. Core stability exercises strengthen the abdominal and lower back muscles that connect to the spine. Aerobic exercise helps stabilize the spine and keep you upright when you move. 

2. Sit Up with Support

Sitting on a comfy couch or chair can put you in a deep slouch position. You can improve that by placing a pillow behind your back or sitting on a pillow to reduce slouching. 

3. Set Up an Ergonomically Correct Workstation

If you spend most of your day behind a computer screen, set up your workstation correctly. Get a good chair that has been adjusted for you. Keep your keyboard directly in front of you and close to your body. Ensure items you use often are easily reachable so you are not constantly bending over. Position your monitor directly in front of you above your keyboard. Gronde says it is also essential to take frequent breaks to break up long periods of sitting. “Take frequent breaks to stand, walk, and move more often, so you limit those long periods when you are just sitting and immobile.” 

4. Limit Bending

Bending down to do routine activities puts stress on your spine. Store items you use frequently as close to your waist height as possible. If you are organizing a garage or closet, place commonly used items on shelves or pegboards instead of the floor to eliminate repetitive lifting. You can follow that same advice in your office or storage rooms. 

5. Prop Up Electronics

Tablets and handheld electronics can be bad for your neck posture. Looking down all the time at keyboards, tablets, and cellphones can stress the backside of your neck. “I routinely recommend that you prop up your devices, so we are not looking straight down at anything, especially right at your lap for a laptop or a tablet,” Gronde says. 

6. Sit Straight

Trying to sit tall with your shoulders dropped is a good habit to get into if you work at a desk, but it can take some getting used to. Movement practices focusing on body awareness, such as Pilates and yoga, can help you sit straight. Make sure your desk is set up to promote proper posture. You'll want to properly position your chair, documents, keyboard, monitor, and phone. Your monitor should be at eye level. Avoid looking down or up for extended periods. Ensure your chair is high enough that your feet are flat on the floor and your knees align with your hips. 

If your feet are reaching for the ground but you feel your chair is at the correct height, try stacking some books or using a shoe box under the feet to promote optimal knee and hip alignment. Take frequent breaks to stretch and rest your muscles and eyes. You may consider a standing desk. Standing aligns the head, legs, neck, and torso, which improves your posture. 

Research has also found that sitting for too long might increase your risk of Musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, lower back, and shoulder, Exhaustion, Chronic diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes, and heart disease), Metabolic syndrome, or factors that increase your risk, of diabetes, heart disease, and more (e.g., high blood pressure, blood sugar, and total cholesterol) Obesity Premature mortality 

7. Strengthen Your Core

Your core muscles stabilize your spine and trunk. A strong core helps improve your back strength, balance, and muscular endurance. Try isometric exercises to contract your muscles without moving your joints. Examples include planks and wall sits. Remember to engage your core and maintain a neutral spine during these exercises. The pelvic floor muscles, which support your bladder, bowel, and uterus, are at the bottom of the core. Exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor also help control your bowel movements and prevent urine leakage. 

Pilates and yoga help improve your core. Yoga poses, for example, help align, balance, and strengthen your body. Specific yoga poses effectively stabilize your core, including Chaturanga dandasana (low plank), Uddiyana bandha (retraction of the abdomen), Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose), Vrikshasana (Tree Pose.) Start practicing yoga or Pilates gradually and listen to how your body responds. Ensure your yoga teacher is sensitive to your needs and abilities and available for feedback. Try Hatha or restorative yoga, which focuses on gentle movements that relax and calm your body if you are a beginner. 

8. Support Your Spine

Hormone changes during menopause can lead to muscle and bone tissue loss, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes your bones to become thin and weak, which increases your risk of falls and fractures. Practice exercises targeting the back extensors, neck flexors, pelvic stabilizers, and obliques to support the spine and combat negative changes associated with poor posture. 

Seek out trainers at your gym to get help with specific exercises and machines that target the above muscles. Spine and trunk muscular endurance is also essential in supporting your spine. Try doing sets of Supermans and back extensions to help you stand and sit with proper posture for extended periods without your back fatiguing or hurting. 

9. Focus On Vitamin D and Calcium

Calcium and vitamin D are essential for strong bones and muscles, which helps prevent osteoporosis. The recommended daily value (DV) is 1,000 milligrams (mg) per day for calcium and 600 international units (IU) per day for vitamin D. Women aged 51 and older need 1,200 mg of calcium per day.12 Adults older than 70 need 800 IU of vitamin D per day. Many people get enough vitamin D from sun exposure and their diet. Those living in areas with long, dark winters may want to discuss supplements with a healthcare provider. 

Fatty fish and milk are rich sources of vitamin D. MedlinePlus. Vitamin D. Sources of calcium include Dried beans, Green leafy vegetables (e.g., bok choy, broccoli, and kale) Milk, Most cheeses, Nuts and seeds (e.g., almonds, Brazil nuts, and sunflower seeds, salmon, and canned sardines. Tahini Yogurt: Taking vitamin D and calcium supplements increases bone strength slightly in older adults. It's unclear, however, if supplements reduce the risk of falls and fractures. Before starting any supplement, talk to a healthcare provider or pharmacist to see if it's right.

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Improve Your Posture with Our Posture Correction App

Posture AI's posture correction app transforms your posture and well-being using advanced AI technology and your smartphone camera. Our app provides personalized posture analysis, expert-guided exercises, and progress tracking to help you move and feel better. Simply take front and side photos, and our AI generates detailed reports with tailored improvement plans. 

Features include instant posture scanning, AI-powered analysis, customized exercise programs, and progress monitoring. Whether looking to prevent long-term issues, reduce daily discomfort, or boost confidence, Posture AI offers an affordable, at-home solution for better alignment. Skip expensive treatments and transform your posture with just a few minutes of guided daily exercise.

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