Stand up straight

If your parents ever nagged you to stop slouching and stand up straight, they were right. Sloping shoulders and a slumped back cause more than just a poor posture - they can put strain on the body and trigger headaches, low energy levels, back pain, digestive problems and more.

Modern living is the main culprit, it seems. Research by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) shows that more of us are suffering with poor posture and its consequences. Wearing high heels, carrying heavy bags, sitting for long periods, using computers, lack of exercise and tiredness are all blamed. Many of us have forgotten what good posture should feel like. Take a look in the mirror - are you tensing your neck, tipping your head forwards, hunching your shoulders and slumping your back?

"The number of people being told they have bad posture has gone up and so have the ailments that it contributes to, including back pain and headaches," says Tim Hutchful, a BCA chiropractor. "The same isn't so in the developing world - if you look at the way we sit, stand and move in the West, it's a retrograde step."

And we've acquired these bad habits as we've got older - young children have perfect posture. "As they grow up, they often start slouching and stiffening, either because they're copying someone or because it's stress-induced, so by the time they enter their teens, twenties and thirties, they can have developed quite significant postural problems," explains Noël Kingsley, an Alexander Technique teacher based in London (www.alexander-technique.com) and author of 'Perfect Poise Perfect Life' (Hodder & Stoughton, £7.99).

It's estimated that in any one year up to half the adult population suffers from back pain: maintaining good posture is a major step in preventing it, the BCA believes. Our bodies are designed to be perfectly aligned, with muscles working in harmony and doing their fair share of the work. "Poor posture will throw the body out of its correct alignment," says Sammy Margo, a chartered physiotherapist in London (www.physiophysio.com). The result is that certain muscles become overburdened, while others, such as the stomach muscles, start to weaken through lack of use. "This can cause undue stress and strain, especially on the lower back," Sammy adds. "When we slump, we also tend to tip the neck forwards, which pinches nerves in the upper neck, causing headaches."

Persistent slouching results in the muscles around the rib cage stiffening, so hampering the lungs. If we don't breathe properly, we lose out on oxygen and aren't able to remove carbon dioxide as efficiently as we should, making us feel tired and lethargic. "Many people with poor posture suffer from ineffectual breathing," Noël says. "They breathe enough to keep themselves alive, but could feel much more energised."

Walking tall can also increase your self-esteem: confident people tend to have an upright posture, while those lacking self-esteem are more likely to slouch. "Improving your posture will give you a psychological boost," explains Lynne Robinson, a Pilates teacher and co-author of 'The Pilates Bible' (Kyle Cathie, £18.99).

"Life can be tough and one defence mechanism is for the head to move forward, which means the chin dips, the shoulders fall forwards and the breast bone concaves," says Christine Reed, a Surrey-based yoga teacher (01372 727182). "There's wisdom in the saying ‘chin up' as just lifting the breastbone slightly begins to realign the skeletal system, allowing the chin to rise up. It's easier to smile with your chin up."

The good news is, it's never too late to improve your posture, and there are plenty of ways of going about it. "If you work on your posture," Sammy says, "you'll feel and look better, be more confident and more energised and you'll help prevent the onset of back pain - it will change your life." Follow our guide to finding the right solution for you.

Chiropractic
A chiropractor can help with posture by giving advice on how to retrain your muscles to work in harmony together and by using muscle stretches and gentle manipulation. "The ideal posture when standing," Tim says, "would allow for a plumb line to hang straight through your ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle - if all these joints are aligned, it makes for a strong and efficient body. When sitting, the line should pass through ear, shoulder and hip."

Posture tip: Shoulder shrugging will help to keep your back in line. "Slowly bring your shoulders up towards your ears, hold for five seconds and then slowly lower them back down," Tim advises. And if your shoulders tend to round, he recommends trying to pull your shoulder blades back a bit. ● For chiropractors and to learn about Straighten Up UK, a three-minute exercise routine devised by the BCA to help improve posture, visit www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk

The Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique aims to help people banish bad postural habits and to re-educate them on how to move, sit and stand with natural poise. Achieving good posture can provide long-term benefits for those with back pain, according to a recent study in the British Medical Journal.

Posture tip: Noël recommends the semi-supine position to help straighten your back and calm your muscles. "Lie on the floor on your back and put a few books under your head (about 2-3 inches high). Bend your knees, so your feet are drawn up towards you and are placed shoulder-width apart, and put your hands on your stomach. Imagine yourself melting into the floor, releasing any tensions. Do this for 10 minutes - you'll feel great."

Physiotherapy
A physiotherapist can teach you how to get your body back into balance, give tips on how to sit, stand, sleep and work and provide exercise advice.

By working on your core muscles, which include those of your pelvic floor, abdomen and back, you can help support your spine and avoid slumping.
Posture tip: "Suck your stomach in all the way, release by 50 per cent, and hold that contraction whenever you can during the day," Sammy says. "It's called engaging the stomach muscles." ● For your nearest physiotherapist, visit www.csp.org.uk. Physiotherapy is available on the NHS. Some doctor's surgeries will also provide referrals to chiropractors or osteopaths on the NHS.

Yoga
Yoga can help improve posture by easing tension in the neck, shoulders and back and strengthening the muscles in the back and abdomen, so helping to support the spine. In a study published in the journal Spine, people with persistent lower-back problems who did yoga experienced less pain and better mood than those treated with standard medical therapy.
Posture tip: A key posture in yoga is the mountain pose, Christine says. "Stand with feet firmly connected to the ground, knees soft, spine in correct alignment, breastbone lifted and chin parallel to the ground."

Try a yoga workout for everyone

Osteopathy
If someone has back pain they will compensate for it by changing their posture, giving rise to bad habits. "An osteopath will look not just at where a pain is located but where it started from," says Nigel Graham, an osteopath and member of the British Osteopathic Association (www.nigelgraham.net). Imbalances are treated using manipulation techniques and massage.
Posture tip: When sitting, Nigel advises keeping the lower part of your back against the back of the chair, as you're then more likely to sit in an upright fashion. "Crossing your legs is not a good idea, as this causes problems with hips, knees and back," he explains.
● To find your local osteopath, visit www.osteopathy.org

Pilates
"To stand correctly requires an enormous amount of deep-core strength," Lynne says. "In Pilates, we work on deep-core postural muscles to help achieve this. One of the biggest problems with modern life is that we spend so much time leaning over desks and computers, which tends to make us round-shouldered."
Posture tip: To reverse this hunched-over effect, Lynne recommends an exercise called The Dart: lie on your front in a straight line - legs parallel and toes pointed - with your arms by your sides, palms up. Engage your core by gently hollowing your deep abdominals, breathe in and then exhale as you lift first your head, then neck, then upper spine one vertebra at a time, lengthening through the crown of the head and keeping your shoulders pulled down. Lift arms slightly and turn palms towards the body, while at the same time engaging inner-thigh muscles and keeping your feet on the floor. Breathe in and hold the position. Breathe out as you return the spine, neck and head in sequence to the starting position, relaxing arms and legs. Repeat up to ten times.

Walk this way
Just getting out in the countryside will help improve core stability and posture. "It's much better to walk on undulating ground such as a field, heath or beach, as opposed to horizontal concrete, as your inner core muscles have to work much harder to keep you stable," explains Amelia Watts, a personal trainer and director of Benefit Personal Training (www.benefitpersonaltraining.co.uk).
Posture tip: "When going for a walk," Sammy says, "engage your stomach muscles and walk tall, with your hands interlinked behind your back, in order to help open yourself up and allow you to breathe in large lungfuls of fresh air." Find a route to suit with our 100+ free walks nationwide

Posture boosters
● MBT shoes are designed to simulate walking on uneven ground and so, it is thought, activate neglected muscles and help improve posture (visit www.uk.mbt.com for your nearest stockist)
● Healthy Back Bags follow the natural curve of your spine, helping to lighten the load (from £29; www.thehealthybackbag.co.uk)
● Scholl Orthaheel orthotic inserts and shoes are designed to help align the body from the ankle to the lower back by restoring your natural footprint (visit www.scholl.com for details)