Check your posture. Stand with your back to the wall, heels about 3 inches from the wall. Place one hand behind your neck with the back of the hand against the wall and the other hand behind your low back with a palm against the wall. If there is excessive space between your back and the wall, such that you can easily move your hands forward and back more than one inch, some adjustment in your posture might be necessary to restore the normal curves of your spine.
To check your posture from the front:
| Good Posture | Bad Posture |
| Is your head held straight? | Is your head tilted to one side or the other? |
| Are your shoulders level? | Is one shoulder lower than the other? |
| Are the spaces between your arms and sides equal? | Are the spaces between your arms and sides unequal? |
| Are your hips level? | Is one hip higher than the other? |
| Do your kneecaps face straight ahead? | Do one or both of your kneecaps turn in or out? |
| Are your ankles straight? | Do your ankles turn in so that your weight is on the inside of your feet? |
To check your posture from a side view. The easiest way is to have a friend take a picture and then evaluate the following:
| Good Posture | Bad Posture |
| Is your head held erect? | Does your head slump forward? |
| Is your chin parallel to the floor? | Does your chin up with the held head back |
| Are your shoulders in line with your ears? | Are your shoulders drooped forward or pulled back? |
| Is your chest held moderately elevated and the upper back erect? | Is your chest sunk in and your upper back rounded? |
| Is your abdominal wall flat? | Does your abdomen sag? |
| Does your lower back appear to have a slight forward curve? | Is your back too flat with no gentle curve or does it have a curve forward into a hollow back? |
| Do your knees bend forward? | Are your knees thrown back into a locked position? |
All of us must consciously work at achieving and maintaining good posture as we go through our various lifecycles. If you’re having trouble maintaining a good posture, we can help.