How to Improve Your PostureGeneral Posture Standing Posture Walking Posture Sitting Posture Driving Posture Carry That Weight Sleeping Train Your Core Muscles Other Helpful Ways to Improve Posture Edited by Savialeigh, Ben Rubenstein, Krystle C., Jack Herrick and 140 others

Good posture is an easy and very important way to maintain a healthy mind and body.

When you practice correct posture, your body is in alignment with itself. This can

alleviate common problems such as back or neck pain, headaches, and fatigue. Being

in good general health and standing (or sitting) tall will also boost your bearing and self

confidence. This article will show you several ways to develop and maintain good

posture. Being able to assess someone's posture could also lead you to reasoning

behind an injury. Also, if a patient is having a knee, hip, or ankle problem it could be

stemming from other parts of the body. Assessing posture can help us locate these

problems. The first thing one does when assessing posture is look at the person's gait

when they walk in. Do not tell the patient that you are assessing their posture because

this will immediately alter their posture. When assessing posture, one should look

bilaterally to see if there is any change from side to side. This includes muscle mass,

definition, height of body parts, and any faults in the posture. One should be assessed

from the front, back, side, while walking, and while sitting.

EditMethod 1 of 9: General Posture

1.

1Identify good posture. Good posture is nothing more than keeping your body in

alignment. Good posture while standing is a straight back, squared shoulders, chin up,

chest out, stomach in. If you can draw a straight line from your earlobe through your

shoulder, hip, knee, to the middle of your ankle—–you've got it. To find yours:

Using a mirror, align your ears, shoulders, and hips. Proper alignment places your ears

loosely above your shoulders and above your hips. Again, these points make a straight

line, but the spine itself curves in a slight 'S'. You'll find that this doesn't hurt at all. If you

do experience pain, look at your side view in a mirror to see if you're forcing your back

into an unnatural position. If you do not have pain, then posture should not be altered,

because this could cause other problems.

The spine has two natural curves that you need to maintain called the 'double C' or 'S'

curves. These curves of the back are also called lordotic and kyphotic. A lordotic curve

is a cure in the lumbar spine, and when there is a increases angle this is called lordosis

of the lumbar spine.A kyphotic curve is present in the thoracic spine, but when this cure

exceeds 50 degrees it is called kyphosis of the thoracic spine.These are the curves

found from the base of your head to your shoulders and the curve from the upper back

to the base of the spine. When standing straight up, make sure that your weight is

evenly distributed on your feet. You might feel like you are leaning forward, and you

may even feel you look odd, but you don't.

Ad

2.

2Train your muscles to do the work. Exercises that strengthen the muscles across

your upper back and shoulders will help you to maintain good posture. You don't need

to develop a body builder physique—–it's more important to build "muscle memory" so

that you unconsciously and naturally maintain correct posture without fatigue. When you

lift weights, you should exercise the agonist and antagonist muscles evenly. This means

that you should exercise your hamstrings as much as your quadriceps, chest as much

as your back, and so on. This will help with correct posture. Try the following, with or

without hand weights:

Exercise One

Square your posture, head upright, so that your ears are aligned over your shoulders.

Raise both arms straight out, alongside your ears, palms up.

Bend forearms in and back, toward shoulders, in an effort to touch your shoulder blades

with your fingertips.

Do ten repetitions with both arms, then alternate ten reps for each arm singularly.

Exercise Two

Align ears with shoulders as in Exercise One.

Raise both arms out to sides at shoulder height, and hold for a slow count of ten.

Slowly lower arms to sides, counting ten as you lower.

Slowly raise arms back to shoulder height, counting to ten as you raise arms.

Do ten reps, constantly checking your alignment with each rep. If ten reps are too many

to start, do as many as you can. You should at least feel a slight fatigue in the shoulder

muscles.

3.

3Be a penguin. While you wait for a web page to load or the bread to toast, place your

elbows at your side, and touch your shoulders with your hands.

Keeping your hands on your shoulders and your ears aligned, raise both elbows (count

one, two) and lower them back down (count one, two). Do as many reps as your wait

allows. You'll be surprised how much exercise fits into 30 seconds.

4.

4Do stretches. This can greatly help if you find that you have a sore back or neck. It's

also good to do during the day, if your job requires you to sit for long periods.

Tilt or stretch your head in all four directions over your shoulders (forward, back, left,

right), and gently massage your neck. Avoid rolling in a circle, as it may cause further

strain.

On your hands and knees, curl your back upwards, like a cat, and then do the opposite.

Think about being able to place a bowl in the hollow of your back.

Repeat the exercises a few times each day. Doing them in the morning helps your body

stretch out the muscle lethargy of sleep. Done periodically throughout the day, it will

help to raise your energy level without a heavy workout.

5.

5Practice yoga. Yoga is excellent for posture, and for your health in general. It can also

improve your balance. Yoga works your core muscles, making them stronger and

helping you to keep a proper body alignment.

Yoga will also help by teaching you on how to hold an erect posture while sitting,

standing, and walking. Look for classes in your area, or scout YouTube for instructional

videos.

Edit Method 2 of 9: Standing Posture

1.

1Find your center. Proper standing posture is about alignment and balance. It also

lends an air of confidence. Here are some tips for achieving the correct upright posture:

Place your feet about shoulder width apart, the same stance you would use for working

out or many other physical activities.

Stand up straight. This is, of course, the key to good standing posture, and bears

repeating. As you develop good posture habits, this will become second nature.

Keep your weight on the balls of your feet. When you rest on your heels, your natural

tendency will be to slouch. Instead, stand up, and make an effort to stand on the balls of

your feet. Notice how the rest of your body follows. Now rock back so that your weight is

on your heels. Notice the way your entire body shifts into a "slouchy" posture with this

single motion.

Keep your shoulders squared. It may feel unnatural at first, if you have not developed

good posture habits. Like standing up straight, however, this will become second

nature.

Pull your head back and up. Picture yourself reaching for the ceiling with the top of your

head. Keep your head square on top of the neck and spine as you do this. Not only will

this improve your posture, you will look taller and leaner, too. Try it!

2.

2Teach your body what it feels like. Stand with your back against a door or wall, with

the back of your head, your shoulders, and your butt just touching it. If it feels awkward

and uncomfortable, don't worry—–as you develop good posture habits and train your

body, it will feel uncomfortable to not stand this way.

Edit Method 3 of 9: Walking Posture

1.

1Start with good standing posture. Walking with good posture is simply an extension

of standing with good posture. Keep your head up, shoulders back, chest out, and eyes

looking straight ahead.

Avoid pushing your head forward.

Edit Method 4 of 9: Sitting Posture

1.

1Sit up straight! How often did your mother tell you that? For many people, this

suggestion got filed right next to "eat your peas," or "your eyes will stick that way." Mom

was right, though–—at least about your posture. Now, especially, when so many of us

sit at a desk all day, it's important to follow these basic guidelines, both for your posture

and for your health.

If you work long hours at a desk and have the option, use a chair that's ergonomically

designed for proper support and designed for your height and weight. If this is not an

option, try using a small pillow for lumbar support.

Align your back with the back of the office chair. This will help you avoid slouching or

leaning forward, which you may find yourself doing after sitting too long at your desk.

As with standing posture, keep your shoulders straight and squared, your head is

upright, and your neck, back, and heels are all aligned.

Keep both feet on the ground or footrest (if your legs don't reach all the way to the

ground).

Adjust your chair and your position so that your arms are flexed, not straight out. Aim for

roughly a 75- to 90-degree angle at the elbows. If they are too straight, you're too far

back, and if they are more than 90 degrees, you're either sitting too close, or you're

slouching.

2.

2Take standing breaks. Even if you're using perfect posture while sitting in the best

chair in the world (and it's debatable whether there is such a thing[1] ), you need to stand

up and stretch, walk around, do a little exercise, or just stand there for a few minutes.

Your body was not designed to sit all day, and recent studies from the University of

Sydney have found that "[p]rolonged sitting is a risk factor for all-cause mortality,

independent of physical activity." Keep moving!

Edit Method 5 of 9: Driving Posture

1.

1Start with good sitting posture. Not only is good posture recommended simply for

good posture's sake, it's also important for more practical safety concerns. Your car's

seating and protective systems were designed for people sitting in the seat properly,

and can actually have an impact on safety in the event of a collision.

Keep your back against the seat and head rest.

Adjust your seat to maintain a proper distance from the pedals and steering wheel. If

you're leaning forward, pointing your toes, or reaching for the wheel, you're too far

away. If you are bunched up with your chin on top of the steering wheel, you're too

close.

2.

2Adjust the head rest. The head rest should be adjusted so that the middle of your

head rests against it. Tilt the head rest as needed, to maintain a distance of no more

than four inches (10cm) between the back of your head and the head rest.

Edit Method 6 of 9: Carry That Weight

1.

1Avoid unintentional back injury. Lifting and carrying presents extra loads and balance

problems that are not part of your normal, everyday physical structure. Lifting or

carrying objects without regard to your physiology can cause discomfort, pain, or in

some cases, real injury. Here are some guidelines for proper load-bearing posture:

When you're lifting something off the ground any heavier than your cat, always bend at

the knees, not the waist. Your back muscles are not designed for taking the weight, but

your large leg and stomach muscles are. Use them well.

If you do a lot of heavy lifting, either as part of weight training or as part of your job,

consider wearing a supportive belt. This can help you maintain good posture while

lifting.

Keep it tight. The closer you keep large or heavy objects to your chest, the less you use

your lower back when carrying them. Instead, the work is done with your arms, chest,

and upper back.

Try holding a five pound (2.26kg) sack of flour, and hold it far out in front of you. Now,

slowly pull it closer and closer to your chest and feel the different muscle groups come

into play as you do this.

Balance your load to prevent stress and fatigue. If you're carrying a heavy suitcase, for

example, change arms frequently. You'll know when.

Edit Method 7 of 9: Sleeping

1.

1Sleep soundly. While you will not be able to consciously maintain a particular posture

while sleeping, how you sleep can have an effect on your waking posture.

Using a firmer mattress will help by maintaining proper back support.

Sleeping on your back will help keep your shoulders straight, and it is usually more

comfortable for the back than sleeping on the stomach.

If you prefer sleeping on your side, try slipping a small, flat pillow between your knees to

help keep your spine aligned and straight.

Use a pillow to provide proper support and alignment for the head and shoulders. Don't

overdo the pillows—–too many, and your head can be bent in an unnatural position; this

will hurt your posture and you'll wake up feeling stiff, sore, and groggy.

Edit Method 8 of 9: Train Your Core Muscles

1.

1Stay in shape. To keep your entire musculoskeletal system in tune to support your

posture, it's important to keep yourself in shape. Try these tips:

Lie on your back, with your legs bent to about 90 degrees at the knee, and your feet on

the floor.

Pull your belly-button towards your spine and holding it at the end. This is a different

type of contraction than crunches (crunches feel like they are more at the front of your

stomach, while this feels like it is more inwards and towards your back).

Hold for ten seconds, repeat eight times. Repeat it daily.

Maintain the proper posture even if you are getting tired and are not using other

muscles like your back or butt muscles.

Breathe normally during this exercise, as you are training your core to be able to

maintain this position during normal activities in daily life.

Edit Method 9 of 9: Other Helpful Ways to Improve Posture

1.

1Think string. Always imagine that a string coming from the top of your head is pulling

you gently up towards the ceiling. Visualization techniques like this one can guide your

sense of proper position and height effectively.

2.

2

Have someone tape a giant X on your back from one shoulder to the opposite

hip. Then put a straight line of tape across your shoulders closing the top of the X.

Wear this during the day, to help retrain your back. This works really well if you hold

shoulders back before taping, use wide non stretch tape and ideally change tape each

day.

3.

3

Avoid the slouch when walking. Be sure to try to walk as if you had a book balancing

on your head.

4.

4Use color. If you need help remembering to keep your posture, think of a unique object

or color. Every time you think of that object, check your posture.

5.

5Focus on your calves. Let your posture and balance rely more on your calves. Try to

feel an at ease attitude, and put a bounce in your step. You'll find that it will free up the

rest of your upper body to relax and assume a more upright posture that takes pressure

from your back, shoulders and neck, and works on your ab muscles. This is awesome,

since strong calves and abs rock!

GestureFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For gestures in computing, see Gesture recognition.

"Gestures" redirects here. For the rock group, see The Gestures.

[hide]This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the

This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2009)

This article possibly contains original research. (June 2009)

Military air marshallers use hand and body gestures to direct flight operations aboard aircraft carriers.

A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication or non-vocal communication in which visible bodily actions

communicate particular messages, either in place of, or in conjunction with, speech. Gestures include

movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body. Gestures differ from physical non-verbal

communication that does not communicate specific messages, such as purely expressive displays, proxemics,

or displays of joint attention.[1] Gestures allow individuals to communicate a variety of feelings and thoughts,

from contempt and hostility to approval and affection, often together with body language in addition

to words when they speak.

Gesture processing takes place in areas of the brain such as Broca's and Wernicke's areas, which are used

by speech and sign language.[2] In fact, language is thought to have evolved from manual gestures.[3] The

theory that language evolved from manual gestures, termed Gestural Theory, dates back to the work of 18th-

century philosopher and priest Abbé de Condillac, and has been revived by contemporary anthropologist

Gordon W. Hewes, in 1973, as part of a discussion on theorigin of language.[4]

Contents

  [hide] 

1   Study on gestures

2   Categories of gestures

3   Social significance

4   Neurology

5   Electronic interface

6   See also

7   References

8   Further reading

9   External links

Study on gestures[edit]

Gestures have been studied throughout the centuries from different view points.[5] During the Roman

Empire, Quintilian studied in his Institution Oratoria how gesture may be used in rhetorical discourse. Another

broad study of gesture was published by John Bulwer in 1644. Bulwer analyzed dozens of gestures and

provided a guide on how to use gestures to increase eloquence and clarity for public speaking.[6] Andrea De

Jorio published an extensive account of gestural expression in 1832.[7]

Categories of gestures[edit]

Pointing at another person with an extended finger is considered rude in many cultures.

Main article: List of gestures

Although the study of gesture is still in its infancy, some broad categories of gestures have been identified by

researchers. The most familiar are the so-called emblems or quotable gestures. These are conventional,

culture-specific gestures that can be used as replacement for words, such as the handwave used in the US for

"hello" and "goodbye". A single emblematic gesture can have a very different significance in different cultural

contexts, ranging from complimentary to highly offensive[8] The page List of gestures discusses emblematic

gestures made with one hand, two hands, hand and other body parts, and body and facial gestures.

Another broad category of gestures comprises those gestures used spontaneously when we speak. These

gestures are closely coordinated with speech. The so-called beat gestures are used in conjunction with speech

and keep time with the rhythm of speech to emphasize certain words or phrases. These types of gestures are

integrally connected to speech and thought processes.[9]

Other spontaneous gestures used during speech production known as iconic gestures are more full of content,

and may echo, or elaborate, the meaning of the co-occurring speech. They depict aspects of spatial images,

actions, people, or objects.[10] For example, a gesture that depicts the act of throwing may be synchronous with

the utterance, "He threw the ball right into the window."[9] Such gestures that are used along with speech tend

to be universal. For example, one describing that he/she is feeling cold due to a lack of proper clothing and/or a

cold weather can accompany his/her verbal description with a visual one. This can be achieved through various

gestures such as by demonstrating a shiver and/or by rubbing the hands together. In such cases, the language

or verbal description of the person does not necessarily need to be understood as someone could at least take

a hint at what's being communicated through the observation and interpretation of body language which serves

as a gesture equivalent in meaning to what's being said through communicative speech.

Studies affirm a strong link between gesture typology and language development. Young children under the

age of two seem to rely on pointing gestures to refer to objects that they do not know the names of. Once the

words are learned, they eschewed those referential (pointing) gestures. One would think that the use of gesture

would decrease as the child develops spoken language, but results reveal that gesture frequency increased as

speaking frequency increased with age. There is however a change in gesture typology at different ages,

suggesting a connection between gestures and language development. Children most often use pointing and

adults rely more on iconic and beat gestures. As children begin producing sentence-like utterances, they also

begin producing new kinds of gestures that adults use when speaking (iconics and beats). Evidence of this

systematic organization of gesture is indicative of its association to language development.[10]

Gestural languages such as American Sign Language and its regional siblings operate as complete natural

languages that are gestural in modality. They should not be confused with finger spelling, in which a set of

emblematic gestures are used to represent a written alphabet. American sign language is different from

gesturing in that concepts are modeled by certain hand motions or expressions and has a specific established

structure while gesturing is more malleable and has no specific structure rather it supplements speech. We

should note, that before an established sign language was created in Nicaragua after the 1970s, deaf

communities would use "home signs" in order to communicate with each other. These home signs were not

part of a unified language but were still used as familiar motions and expressions used within their family—still

closely related to language rather than gestures with no specific structure.[11] This is similar to what has been

observed in the gestural actions of chimpanzees. Gestures are used by these animals in place of verbal

language, which is restricted in animals due to their lacking certain physiological and articulatory abilities that

humans have for speech. Corballis (2009) asserts that "our hominin ancestors were better pre-adapted to

acquire language-like competence using manual gestures than using vocal sounds."[12] This leads to a debate

about whether humans, too, looked to gestures first as their modality of language in the early existence of the

species. The function of gestures may have been a significant player in the evolution of language.

Social significance[edit]

Gestures, commonly referred to as “body language,” play an important role in industry. Proper body language

etiquette in business dealings can be crucial for success. However, gestures can have different meanings

according to the country in which they are expressed. In an age of global business, diplomatic cultural

sensitivity has become a necessity. Gestures that we take as innocent may be seen by someone else as

deeply insulting.[13] The following gestures are examples of proper etiquette with respect to different countries’

customs on salutations: In the United States, “a firm handshake, accompanied by direct eye contact, is the

standard greeting. Direct eye contact in both social and business situations is very important.” In the People’s

Republic of China, “the Western custom of shaking a person's hand upon introduction has become widespread

throughout the country. However, oftentimes a nod of the head or a slight bow will suffice.” In Japan, “the act of

presenting business cards is very important. When presenting, one holds the business card with both hands,

grasping it between the thumbs and forefingers. The presentation is to be accompanied by a slight bow. The

print on the card should point towards the person to which one is giving the card.” In Germany, “it is impolite to

shake someone's hand with your other hand in your pocket. This is seen as a sign of disrespect” In France, “a

light, quick handshake is common. To offer a strong, pumping handshake would be considered uncultured.

When one enters a room, be sure to greet each person present. A woman in France will offer her hand first.”[14]

Vitarka mudra, Tarim Basin, 9th century.

Gestures are also a means to initiate a mating ritual. This may include elaborate dances and other movements.

Gestures play a major role in many aspects of human life. Gesturing is probably universal; there has been no

report of a community that does not gesture. Gestures are a crucial part of everyday conversation such as

chatting, describing a route, negotiating prices on a market; they are ubiquitous. Additionally, when people use

gestures, there is a certain shared background knowledge. We use similar gestures when talking about a

specific action such as how we gesture the idea of drinking out of a cup. When an individual makes a gesture,

another person can understand because of recognition of the actions/shapes.[15] Gestures have been

documented in the arts such as in Greek vase paintings, Indian Miniatures or European paintings.

Gestures play a central role in religious or spiritual rituals such as the Christian sign of the cross.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, a mudra (Sanskrit, literally "seal") is a symbolic gesture made with the hand or

fingers. Each mudra has a specific meaning, playing a central role in Hindu and Buddhist iconography. An

example is the Vitarka mudra, the gesture of discussion and transmission of Buddhist teaching. It is done by

joining the tips of the thumb and the index together, while keeping the other fingers straight.

Neurology[edit]

Gestures are processed in the same areas of the brain as speech and sign language such as the left inferior

frontal gyrus (Broca's area) and the posterior middle temporal gyrus, posterior superior temporal

sulcus and superior temporal gyrus (Wernicke's area).[2] It has been suggested that these parts of the brain

originally supported the pairing of gesture and meaning and then were adapted in human evolution "for the

comparable pairing of sound and meaning as voluntary control over the vocal apparatus was established and

spoken language evolved".[2] As a result, it underlies both symbolic gesture and spoken language in the

present human brain. Their common neurological basis also supports the idea that symbolic gesture and

spoken language are two parts of a single fundamental semiotic system that underlies human discourse.[9] The

linkage of hand and body gestures in conjunction with speech is further divulged through the observation of

gesture use in blind individuals during conversation. This phenomenon uncovers a function of gesture that goes

beyond portraying communicative content of language and extends David McNeill's view of the gesture-speech

system. This suggests that gesture and speech work tightly together, and a disruption of one (speech or

gesture) will cause a problem in the other. Studies have found strong evidence that speech and gesture are

innately linked in the brain and work in an efficiently wired and choreographed system. McNeill's view of this

linkage in the brain is just one of three currently up for debate; the others declaring gesture to be a "support

system" of spoken language or a physical mechanism for lexical retrieval.[16]

Because of this connection of co-speech gestures--a form of manual action--in language in the brain, Roel

Willems and Peter Hagoort conclude that both gestures and language contribute to the understanding and

decoding of a speaker's encoded message. Willems and Hagoort's research suggest that "processing evoked

by gestures is qualitatively similar to that of words at the level of semantic processing." This conclusion is

supported through findings from experiments by Skipper where the use of gestures led to "a division of labor

between areas related to language or action (Broca's area and premotor/primary motor cortex respectively)."

The use of gestures in combination with speech allowed the brain to decrease the need for "semantic control."

Because gestures aided in understanding the relayed message, there was not as great a need for semantic

selection or control that would otherwise be required of the listener through Broca's area. Gestures are a way

to represent the thoughts of an individual, which are prompted in working memory. The results of an

experiment revealed that adults have increased accuracy when they used pointing gestures as opposed to

simply counting in their heads (without the use of pointing gestures)[17] Furthermore, the results of a study

conducted by Marstaller and Burianová suggest that the use of gestures affect working memory. The

researchers found that those with low capacity of working memory who were able to use gestures actually

recalled more terms than those with low capacity who were not able to use gestures.[18]

Although there is an obvious connection in the aid of gestures in understanding a message, "the understanding

of gestures is not the same as understanding spoken language." These two functions work together and

gestures help facilitate understanding, but they only "partly drive the neural language system."[19]

Electronic interface[edit]

Main article: Gesture recognition

The movement of gestures can be used to interact with technology like computers, using touch or multi-

touch popularised by the iPhone, physical movement detection and visual motion capture, used in video game

consoles.

See also[edit]

Chironomia

Kinesics

List of gestures

Musical gesture

Posture (psychology)

Rock, Paper, Scissors , a game played with hand gestures

Sign language

Taunt

Orans

References[edit]

1. Jump up ̂  Kendon, Adam. (2004) Gesture: Visible Action as Utterance. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press. ISBN 0-521-83525-9

2. ^ Jump up to: a  b c Xu J, Gannon PJ, Emmorey K, Smith JF, Braun AR. (2009). Symbolic gestures and

spoken language are processed by a common neural system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 106:20664–

20669.doi:10.1073/pnas.0909197106 PMID 19923436

3. Jump up ̂  Corballis, Michael (January/February 2010). "The gestural origins of language". WIREs

Cognitive Science 1.

4. Jump up ̂  Corballis, Michael. (January/February 2010). "The gestural origins of language." © 2009 John

Wiley & Sons, Ltd. WIREs Cogn Sci 2010 1 2–7

5. Jump up ̂  Kendon, A (1982). "The study of gesture: Some observations on its history". Recherches

Sémiotiques/Semiotic Inquiry 2 (1): 45–62.

6. Jump up ̂  Bulwer, J (1644). Chirologia: or the Naturall Language of the Hand. London.

7. Jump up ̂  de Jorio, A (1832/2002). G

Communication

Body

Hand Gestures

Gesture Drawing

Face

Presentation

Search Results1.

a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or

meaning:Alex made a gesture of apology[mass noun]:so much is conveyed by gesture

 an action performed to convey a feeling or intention:Maggie was touched by the kind

gesturea gesture of goodwill

 an action performed for show in the knowledge that it will have no effect:I hope the

amendment will not be just a gesture