CHALLENGE - Fix Your Posture-Fast!

These tricks can help you sit up a little straighter and stand a little taller in just days.

- ALYSSA JUNG

When Mom nagged you to stand up straight, she might not even have realized that you risked more than looking sloppy and slouchy. Poor posture can lead to neck and back pain, breathing issues, headaches, joint discomfort, and even digestion problems because the body's natural alignment is off, explains Kevin Lees, D.C., a chiropractor and manager of auditing and quality for The Joint Chiropractic.

Plenty of factors affect posture. Sitting for lengthy periods makes it hard to maintain the proper position for optimal alignment, and "bone loss can also negatively affect posture, and ligaments and tendons naturally lose elasticity as we get older, causing our bodies to become tighter," says Melissa Prestipino, P.T., D.P.T., owner of Maize & Blue Rehab in Sparta, NJ.

Take these steps to help improve your posture fast, then make the corrections stick by building them into your regular routine.

DAY 1