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One of the simplest lifestyle changes that you can make to both look and feel better is to improve your posture.

Poor posture can put a lot of unnecessary stress on your muscles and bones. If you habitually slouch when you’re sitting or standing, you’re not letting your lungs fill to their maximum capacity. This can leave you feeling fatigued or even depressed. However, maintaining good posture is easy to do with a few simple steps.

If you’re seated at a desk or even in your car, try to adjust the seat so that your knees are even with your hips. Try to keep your shoulders up and your chest back and adjust the arm rests so that your arms are supported comfortably. When you stand up, you want your weight to be on the balls of your feet, not on your heels. Your feet should be shoulder width apart, and don’t lock your knees. Your head should be level, lined up with your neck and spine. Keep your shoulders relaxed and upright; and stand up straight. When you sleep, try to find a comfortable position that maintains the curve in your back; you could lie on your back with a pillow under your knees and a lumbar roll under your lower back.

In order to avoid bad posture habits, try to not carry a heavy purse, briefcase, or a backpack over your shoulder. It is important to be mindful of cradling our cell phone or a phone between our ear and our shoulder; and try not to slouch, or lean forward when seated or standing. In order to improve posture strengthening core muscles is a great place to start. Also staying flexible in your hip flexors, hamstrings and lower back will help avoid injury.