Maintaining correct posture goes way beyond looks. Yes! It’s not just for a nice and beautiful decubitus that you are urged by your elders to maintain the right posture. Correct posture is in fact a fundamental pillar of your health.
What is meant by ‘Posture’?
The carriage of the body as a whole, the positioning of the limbs, trunk, neck etc while standing or sitting or moving, is termed as posture by medical people.
This means there are two types of postures- one that you maintain while you are at rest which is called static posture and two the dynamic posture which one assumes while in motion.
While proprioception, that is the sense of active motion, passive motion and position of one’s body parts, is a function of the proprioceptors present in the joints, muscles and tendons, the responsibility of maintaining the body’s posture goes to the spine, more precisely the vertebral column.
It is this very reason that the human backbone has three natural curves which if maintained the same way, certainly help you keep the posture of your body correct. These natural curves of the spine are in fact markers of accuracy in your posture. A slight increase or decrease in the magnitude of these curves indicates deviation of your posture from normal or healthy to incorrect which is both abnormal and unhealthy.
Before we proceed to talk about the intricate relationship between a good posture and health, we must understand
Why is maintaining a correct posture important?
So here are seven extremely important benefits that you get out of maintaining a good posture. 
A boost in Confidence
While the phrase ‘sit up straight’ can be very annoying, it certainly shoots up the positive vibes that you emit and also improves the way you feel about yourself. A study claims that people who maintain a good posture perform better whether it is at work, in academics or in relationships. Well that’s simply because of the way they are feeling inside. Isn’t it?
Higher Energy Levels
Indeed, your energy levels are largely dependent upon the levels of glucose in your body but a small contribution is also made by your psychological status. It is said- you body behaves the way your mind feels. It is also said that what you believe within shows on the outside. True that! A good posture boosts your confidence, keeps you upbeat and you are ‘get set ready’ to undertake just anything that comes your way.
A Natural Mood Enhancer
A poor posture gives you a low feeling while a good one enhances not just your confidence but also your mood in general. Feeling good about yourself spreads fast and you ooze positivity and well, that’s pretty infectious!
Improved Physical Health
Let’s see it this way- ‘A Healthy Mind Breeds A Healthy Body And Vice Versa”. So a good bodily posture leads to a confident, positive and happy mind and that in turn further improves your physical health, avoiding unnecessary pressures at different places. This includes- your blood circulation, spine, blood pressure, joints and muscles of the neck, back and legs.
Improves Breathing
Good posture allows the lungs to expand to the maximum when you inhale, allowing them to accommodate much more air than they would have if you had been slouching. And well, everyone knows how breathing is intricately connected to every single function that your body performs- breathing good gives a good supply of oxygen to your blood which carries this elixir of life to every single cell of your body.
How To Fix Posture?
Be Mindful And Conscious of How You Carry Yourself
Right from the time you open your eyes in the morning, try keeping an eye on your posture while doing your routine activities such as sitting upright in bed, and walking with your spine straight and shoulders firm.
Stay Active
Days you are off from work are indeed lazy but make sure you are still active as far as your body is concerned. Mild exercises such as yoga help you relax your muscles that had been stiffened through the weekdays’ desk job.
Avoid heels and tight footwear
While all five working days your feet bear the tight shoes and heels, it is important to give them a day or two off just as you take off from work every 6th and 7th day of the week. Walking barefoot helps you relax the muscles of your feet and they gear up to bear the weight of your body once again.
Change Your Sitting Posture At Frequent Intervals
Sitting in the same posture for hours together stiffens the muscles of your back. It is therefore important to switch positions frequently. Take frequent breaks from work, take quick walks around in your office and even at home and make sure to adjust your work spaces at a comfortable height. Ideally your work surface should be slightly below the level of your elbow when you are seated.
Sit up straight
That’s not just a phrase that your elders use often. The correct sitting posture involves your back straight and making a 90 degree angle with your thighs which further make a 90 degree
angle with your legs. Make sure your feet are parallel to the floor and your soles rested flat against it.
Stand Firm and Tall
Believe me you would feel much better about yourself if you stand up with your neck and back straight holding your chin up, and shoulders pointing backwards. And how do you do it? 
Well, begin by pulling your stomach in, and keeping your feet shoulder-width apart. This automatically distributes your body weight equally on both your feet and the rest of the body parts fall in line.
While we all understand how important maintaining a good posture is, and we know how detrimental poor postures can be, comfort zones keep us hooked on to the bad postures that our body adopts to stay comfortable. But we need to break all shackles. Set reminders to correct your posture if you need to because nothing beats a strong self check!
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