How to Align Your Posture

Trish Muse: Hi, I am Trish Muse with Body Productions, Inc. I am a Physical Therapist and today, I am going to show you how to avoid workplace injuries. Next, I will show you how to properly align your posture. Poor workstation design or poor posture often lead to workplace injuries particularly, with the extended computer use. Today, I will show you how to properly align your posture and avoid stress and strain that might cause pain in your neck or joints or tendons or other body parts. So let's get started. The first thing you want to note to properly align your posture is to start, let's start with from your head and work our way down. Keep your eyes level. Your ears should be placed directly over your shoulders so it's not to jut your head forward. You will know that you have elongated your spine and properly aligned your head and neck, if you can keep an apple or a fixed distance between your chin and chest so that your chin should go towards your chest, but not rest on it.

Next, let's look at your shoulders. You want to make sure that your chest is open. By keeping your collar bones going to opposite sides of the room or opposite walls you will be able to maintain an open chest and decrease your chances of compressing other body parts that might cause you stress or pain. Let's also remember to keep your shoulders directly over your elbows. Let's keep your shoulders down away from your ears and your shoulder blades drawn towards your hip pockets. Remember your chest or your breastbone should point up towards the ceiling and that's how you properly align your posture. Next, I will show you a simple stretch to alleviate neck strain.