13 Little Tricks For Improving Your Posture That People Swear By

Stop. That. Slouch.

I don't know about you, but on any given day, this is what I look like sitting at my desk at work:

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It's a problem.

Posture can seriously affect your health and your mood, so if you're looking to improve yours (it's possible!), here are some clever tricks from a recent Reddit thread to try throughout your day.

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These tips should hopefully help if you know you aren't as aligned as you should be, but if you have more severe issues or pain related to posture, make sure you consult a doctor.

1. If you sit at a desk all day, draw a stick figure on a Post-It and put it in a spot that you glance at frequently.

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"It's a constant reminder to sit up straight." —gmatney

2. Try to associate a posture check with something you do regularly throughout the day, like checking your phone or walking through a doorway.

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"For example, every time you have a sip of water, ask yourself, 'Is my posture OK?'"—cpt_caster

3. With your shirt off, have someone place tape tightly across your shoulders.

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"Every time you slouch, you'll feel it pull, reminding you to straighten up." —Pete-the-meat

4. And if you don't want tape on your back, check out Nekoze, an app that uses your Mac’s camera to keep an eye on your posture.

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If you're slouching, a lil' cat will appear (a cat icon, that is) and warn you that your posture is out of whack.

Download it here.

5. Another app: Perfect Posture Workout, which guides you through a quick and easy standing exercise.

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Once you download it, all you have to do is stand with good posture against a wall and put your phone in your shirt pocket. Then, try to maintain that good posture during a 15-minute exercise. If you start slouching, your phone will give you a gentle vibration. Some bonuses? The app plays relaxing classical music, and you can track your progress over three weeks.

Download it here.

6. Try not to bend your head down to look at your phone.

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Instead, hold your phone straight out in front of you. Why? Believe it or not, for every inch you stick your head out, you add 10 pounds of weight carried down through your spine. Seriously.

7. Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low- and mid-back, or get yourself a back pillow.

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Try this highly rated (more than 2,000 reviews!) memory-foam cushion, which provides crucial lumbar support, from Amazon for $24.98.

8. And adjust your rearview mirror a bit higher so you have to sit a little taller while driving.

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—Ghostofjudgesmails

9. While sitting, relax your shoulders and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.

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If one of your biggest problems is that your shoulders are rounded forward, check out this video with some simple stretches to help.

10. Try not to sit in the same position for long periods of time.

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Get on up! Ideally, you should move around once every hour and give yourself a five-minute stretch or walk around the room. Better yet, when the weather's nice, take a walk around the block.

11. Inhale deeply, and allow your back and shoulders to straighten. When you exhale, keep them in that same position.

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—Fenr-i-r

12. Keep one or both hands in your back pockets when you're just standing around.

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"I found that I hunched a lot because I often kept my hands in my front trouser or jacket pockets. I now try to keep them in my back pockets. This automatically straightens my back out and stops me from hunching." —applekaka

13. And remember the phrase "walk like you're wearing a cape."

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"Since learning this, I have barely slouched while standing." —Akuru

Now get out there and stop that slouch!

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Some submissions have been edited lightly for length/clarity.