Did you know that sitting upright daily will help you burn up to 350 more calories a day?! Burn calories while you sit? Yes. I like it.

When I was working on writing my first book, I started to notice my body hurt. My back would be sore. My shoulders would feel tight. My hips would get all out of whack. I started to wonder why my workouts weren’t feeling as hot. And then it hit me. I was spending a lot of time sitting. A lot. And my posture was not on point.

Growing up a dancer and fitness instructor, I wasn’t used to spending so many consistent hours on the computer. But I had become so excited working on writing my book that my posture took a hit. Once I realized I was slouching, I decided to take action and work towards counterbalancing the negative effects of all that sitting. Posture is EVERYTHING. It effects how you move, perform, and feel. Not to mention you just look better when you stand up tall. Now I’ve come to truly appreciate the value of good posture and keep my posture in check using these lifestyle hacks:

Work it OUT. Follow a balanced exercise program that incorporates corrective exercises for good posture. Do exercises that stretch and open the front of your body (chest, shoulders, hip flexors, and quads) and strengthen the back/core of your body (upper back, lower back, abdominals, butt, hamstrings). Stretch the front, strengthen the back. Simple right? If you are not sure which exercises to do, I’ve put together a few posture perfect workout videos for you on Youtube. These exercises are a sample of what you can do to improve your posture and look as tall as you feel. Press play and let me know if you feel taller after.

Time it. Human beings are not designed to sit in an office all day, we are built to move! Every hour, get out of your office chair and move. Even 1-2 minutes of simple exercises and stretches can work wonders.

Think up! If you feel your head or shoulders jut forward, pull them back and act as if a string were pulling you up from the top of your head.

Sit Tall. Establish good posture at your desk: Sit with your back against your chair and feet flat on the floor. When you look at a computer screen, your eyes should be level with the center of it. If they aren’t, raise or lower the monitor.

Use Tech to help. Need more help keeping your posture in check? Use your smart phone with a posture training app. Try game changing wearable posture devices like UPRIGHT , a Smart Wearable Posture Trainer with Free IOS and Android App. UPRIGHT is a device that attaches to your upper or lower back and accurately detects when you are slouching with unique technology. It vibrates when you slouch and reminds you to sit upright. Through it’s device and app training program, it allows you to gradually train your core muscles and build muscle memory, so eventually you will be able to maintain an upright posture almost entirely subconsciously. I’ve been using the UPRIGHT device to help me sit tall, you can watch me demonstrate how I use it in this video: Learn more about UPRIGHT at http://www.uprightpose.com/

Now that I’ve got my posture back on point, my body is feeling so much better about life. And I’m about ready to start writing another book! This time, I’ll make sure to remember to sit tall and whistle while I work 😉

Do you work on your posture? What things to you do to make sure you stand tall?

Keep shining my friends,

Caroline

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Want to build a balanced body? Check out my book, Balanced Body Breakthrough and get your mind, body, and spirit in great shape so you can love your life.