Poor posture is very common in today’s world, just take a look around. It is one of many factors that can contribute to back pain. It is not enough to just say, stand up taller. Muscle weakness, tension and imbalance need to be addressed, as well as attention to how you are holding your body.

Lillah has 5 more videos in this series. We collect the best videos on the topic of natural pain relief. Just fill in the form next to the video and we weill start sending them along. You may unsubscribe at any time. We promise not to send useless spam.

In the mean time head on over to Lillah’s blog and check out the great yoga videos, articles and tips. Be sure to say hi in the comment box while you are there.

Sitting Posture

Take a look at how you are sitting in 3-D space.

The 2 most important dimensions are up – down and front to back.

Even if you have a chair that is not so good, it’s possible to make the best of it, if you know what to do.

Of course it’s always best to have a chair the ergonomically designed, and fits your body size well.

This short little video shows the best way to sit in a chair.

A lot of people suffer from back pain, just because they don’t sit properly in their chair. And Lord knows, we spend a lot of time sitting in chairs, most of us anyway.

Proper Height

First thing to do is to get the height of the chair correct. Most office type chairs have an up-down adjustment. There should be s slight downhill angle from the top of your thighs to the knees.

Front to Back

You want to get your butt, all the way to the back of the chair. this helps to prevent slouching. The key is to maintain the proper curve in the lumbar spine.

Use a Cushion

If your chair doesn’t have good lumbar support, try using some type of cushion to provide back support. This will help you to get the proper curve in your lumbar spine. A towel, a small pillow, a cushion, even a folded pillow case might be just right. Experiment to find the right size and thickness for best comfort.

The best solution really is to get a quality chair, that was designed with ergonomics in mind, and fits your body size appropriately.

If you have discovered a sitting solution that works well for you, please tell us about it using the comment box below. And if you tried something that didn’t work so well, we would love to hear about that too!

Belly Turning Pose

Proper posture goes hand in hand with a healthy back and spine. Poor posture can lead to back pain, sciatica and other problems.

This video shows a basic core strengthening exercise called, Belly Turning Pose.

This is part of Lillah’s 6 part series, Improve Your Posture with Yoga.

Start out lying on your back, with arms spread out. Be sure to follow Lillah’s instructions regarding the position of the knees. This pose takes only a couple minutes to do.

Check out some of Lillah’s other back pain videos here.

I am more than happy to have it at my house. It is well worth the space it takes up in my house. Now he just comes over once a week to get a good spine stretch.

As soon as I started doing the inversions on  a regular basis, my back felt better quickly. Check out this inversion therapy video >>>

When the inversion table first showed up at my house, I was doing it maybe once or twice a week. That didn’t make much difference  When I increased the frequency to almost everyday, improvement happened rapidly.  I also was able to increase the amount of time I hung upside down, once I got used to it. At first it was a little awkward and scary, but I got over that after the first few attempts.

The negative pull of gravity on the spine is what makes the difference. This type of spinal decompression therapy has been in existence for a couple thousand years now. In the old days, they would strap someone to a ladder, and a couple of strong men would turn it upside down.

Even a tiny amount of increased separation between the vertebral discs can make a difference.

As always, you would want to check with your doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist before trying this. Inversion therapy is not right for everybody.

Could poor posture be contributing to your back pain? Most experts would say yes. Learning how to stand properly is not something that is taught as a standard course in most schools. If your parents didn’t know, then how could they teach you?

Watch on YouTube – Correct Posture – Standing Pose Prep.

This little yoga video will give you a few clues to get the ball rolling. Getting to a yoga class might be one way to have someone knowledgable look at your posture and offer some help. Of course you would want to look for a teacher who know what they are talking about and is well qualified. While there are many different styles of yoga, Iyengar yoga has a strong focus on proper alignment.

Of course there are other options for improving posture as well. A good chiropractor could be another valuable resource.