I keep trying to walk/stand/sit straight, but sometimes my shoulders just naturally pull forward :bang: it hurts my back in the long run and even my doctor says that because I slouch I have a couple of inches stored in my spinal area that take away from my height which is 5'8½ my doctor didn't really have any good suggestions, so that's why I'm here (although I didn't expect her to tell me anything useful) are there any techniques that can help improve my posture? :/
Check out the Alexander Technique. When I was a student at Oberlin, known worldwide for its music conservatory (which I was *not* in), a lot of the conservatory students had studied Alexander Technique to improve their posture, which, in turn, helps their playing. I don't know a whole lot about it, but my Oberlin friends described working with an individual Alexander teacher who would help you learn to breathe, stand, and sit in ways that are optimal for your health and posture. I know that just about everyone I met who had studied Alexander for any length of time had near-perfect posture (as far as I could see) and some of them were able to show pictures of how they had stood before, so you could really see a difference. Hope that helps.
Take up a dance! My ballroom teacher had these sticks on me all the time because my chin wouldn't stay up and my back wasn't straight. Now it feels wrong to slouch, and I feel like I'll get hit. Other than that, just work on arching more often. Like back-bends. Maybe you could even check if you may have scoliosis. Even to a small degree.
Look up as you walk. You'll straighten right up! Just make sure you can see where you're going... When standing, you can line up your feet with your shoulders, and imagine that your head is floating up above your spine, like levitating. This isn't professional advice or anything, but it tends to help "visualize".
well I've never heard of it before, but it sounds quite interesting :] thanks! I sure hope I don't have scoliosis O.O and I'm very uncoordinated so I'd probably kill myself in dance, hehe thank you though. I shall try some back-bends then, and maybe stretches like doing the bridge professional or not, it's good advice, thanks I've never thought of it that way, but I'll keep that in mind, hmm
Best way's that are used in my work place for client's are to stand up with head up, ass in when you are walking. Also you can lie down on a hard floor for about 1/2 hour a day it help's. Sit up straight when sitting in a chair.
I have this exact same problem... my parents are always bugging me about it... I'll be sure to take some of the advice posted in this thread...
OMG I love Alexander Technique.. it [quite literally] makes your music sound so much better, just by sitting and orienting yourself differently.