Keep the Chin Up, Shoulders Back

Doug Walker, a Fountain Valley chiropractor, offers the following posture pointers:

* Slouchers need to make a conscious effort to straighten up and not allow their shoulders round over forward from the rest of the body. After a few weeks, good posture should come naturally; it will actually feel uncomfortable to slouch--honest.

* To help strengthen and straighten the back and shoulders, stand up straight with arms raised at a 90-degree angle, and rotate the arms in small backward circles.

* While some suggest imagining that a string is pulling up the body, puppet-like, through a point at the top of the head, the idea of having good posture isn’t to stand at attention. Correct posture should be relaxed, not rigid. Just keep the shoulders back and chin up.