Look Slimmer with Perfect Posture

When I was a teenager, I was a real “slumping sally” and had the worst posture ever. As I’ve gotten older, I really see the importance of having good posture – it is much more important to your health than just being “proper”. Developing good posture has plenty of healthy benefits from preventing backaches, fatigue, strain – while making you look and feel more attractive, as well as having a better, slimmer looking figure. I’ve learned that you don’t have to be stuck with bad posture – you can alter the way you stand and sit with a little work, maybe your muscles just need a little tune up. The good news is that you can do it yourself with exercise and checking in with your body a few times a week.

First, check your self out in the mirror and see where you might have a tendency to hunch. If it’s hard to tell have a friend video tape you taking a short walk around your house.

Then assume a good standing pose so you can feel where areas are tight, tired, or weak. The yoga mountain pose is one of the best indicator of where you might want to focus more attention on the body. Once you find your trouble spots it’s easy to create a routine that you can do at home 5 to 10 minutes a day, though having a yoga practice that has a flow along with other postures is really the best.

But if you have the “go ahead” from your doctor, you can try a some of the posture below. One of the great principles of yoga is to find harmony, prevent muscle strain and promote balance in the body by stretching in one direction then doing the opposite stretch afterwards. So pick one or all three from the “test out” group but follow them up with the “finish” pose in each category.

Upper Back

If you have the computer keyboard hunch, or find that your head juts forward when it should be more centered over your shoulders, you might need to work on the upper back. Bad posture in this area can give you that “tired out” look and make you look thicker around the upper abdomen.

Fish
Bow Pose
Bridge Pose

Finish with Child Pose

Slouchy Middle Back and Weak Abs

This was definitely one of my posture trouble spots and it has to do with a weak middle back combined with weak abs. As you start to build both, you’ll have a stable muscle framework to keep the spine straight while making your tummy look flatter and longer.

Boat Pose
Dolphin Plank Pose
Scale Pose

Finish with Seated Twist

Pesky Pelvis and Lower Back

If you find your pelvis tipping too far forward or too far back, then you might have tight or weak muscles around the hips. If the top of the pelvis tilts forward too far, your belly may look unneccessarily puffed. If it tilts too far back, your stomach may look creased. A balanced pelvis with developed lower ab muscles will protect your lower back and give the stomach area a less protruding appearance.

Garland Pose
Reclining Bound Angle Pose
Pigeon Pose

Finish with
Happy Baby Pose

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Comments

  1. Sharon Connolly says

    I totally agree – so many of my clients could look much slimmer if they just stood up straight and were confident. I see it in my daughter now (aged 12) who has just started to develop a bust – she’s slouching to hide it! Stand up be proud and confident. There is a lot you can do to dress slimmer too – the right clothes and colours make a HUGE difference

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