BALTIMORE—Saying the simple practice was hugely beneficial for staving off aches and pains later in life, a report released Wednesday by Johns Hopkins University found that suddenly remembering to sit up straight once a month is the best way to keep a back healthy into old age. “Our research determined that the ideal method for achieving lasting back health is to remember seemingly out of nowhere to correct your posture at a random moment during the day, involuntarily resume slouching after a few minutes, and then repeat the process within the next four weeks or so,” said lead author Jackson Hartig, adding that neither strengthening exercises nor stretching routines were even remotely as helpful. “Those who suddenly remember to sit up straight less often than once a month can expect to deal with chronic discomfort as they grow older, while people who rarely if ever have those spontaneous moments of awareness will likely have to contend with agonizing muscle spasms and a pronounced hunch from middle age until death.” Hartig went on to say that the sitting up must be prompted unconsciously and that deliberate reminders such as a sticky note taped to a computer monitor at work had no effect whatsoever.

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