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If your mother ever told you not to slump at the dinner table, there’s a good reason for that. Good posture comes from a lifetime of good habits. Meanwhile, a lifetime of bad habits can lead to problems like back, shoulder, or neck pain. Here are three very common posture problems and the steps you can take to remedy them.

Forward Head Jutt

The forward head jutt is defined by a head that protrudes forward from the neck. If your ears are in front of the line of your shoulders when looking at you from the side, you have a forward head jutt. This posture issue is very common especially amongst office workers who sit at a desk for hours at a time. To fix a forward head jutt, it’s important to do neck and chest-opening stretches daily. Office workstations should be ergonomic as well, with a chair that offers good back support and a computer monitor that sits at the eyeline to discourage forward head jutting.

Rounded Shoulders

Like a forward head jutt, rounded shoulders can be a symptom of long hours at the desk. They can also be caused by driving, holding heavy objects, or bending over repeatedly. For this reason, this posture problem is sometimes called “mom posture.” One of the easiest ways to identify rounded shoulders is to stand at a resting position with your arms hanging at your sides. If your palms face backward rather than inward towards your body, you have rounded shoulders. To fix it, focus on stretches and exercises that strengthen your back muscles and lengthen your chest muscles. For severe cases, physical therapy can help retrain the shoulders to rest in the correct position.

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

An anterior pelvic tilt is identified by a pelvis that tilts forward with the front angled downward and the back angled upward. This misalignment of the pelvis can eventually develop into lower back pain and knee problems. An anterior pelvic tilt can be reversed by focusing on exercises that strengthen muscles of the core, hamstrings, glutes, and back, which are normally weakened from a prolonged pelvic tilt.

Whether you’re sitting, standing, eating, or walking, you are training your muscles and joints to move and rest in a certain way. By keeping good posture at the forefront of your mind, you can help curb the impact of poor posture on your overall health and wellness.

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