Fix your posture DROP A DRESS SIZE

Not only can standing straight help you look svelte in seconds, it may even ease anxiety – just in time for the busy party season

- 

Holding your shoulders back and your stomach in may help you look your best for a festive photo, but it’s often only seconds before you slump back down again. Constant hunching forces the lower back to curve excessively and pushes the stomach outwards – making you look much bigger than you are. Years of heavy handbags, bending over smartphones and wearing high heels add to the problem.

But there is good news – it’s never too late to change your posture. Short-term tweaks can help you look instantly slimmer in that LBD, while making an effort in the long term will not only help you keep back pain at bay, but could improve digestion, circulation and your mental health.

Solid foundations

Osteopath Monica Franke recommends checking your alignment a couple of times each day until the following posture becomes your new normal… 

1 Take three long, slow breaths with feet contacting the ground – aim for 50% of the weight in the heel, 30% around the big toe and mid-foot, and 20% to the outer two toes.

2 Let the knees soften and allow the back of your pelvis to gently lengthen down.

3 Breathe softly into the space between your shoulder blades. Breathe out, allowing the lower ribs to come together and back. Your shoulders will naturally soften into the back of the ribcage, which is where you want them, not by your ears.

Drive time