Close the window    Mom was right—stand up straight - Posture - A Brief Article USA Today (Magazine), Feb, 2002 Remember your mother poking you in the back and admonishing you to stand up straight? Well, it turns out Mom knew best. According to the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource, bad posture doesn't just make you look dumpy, it can lead to serious health problems. When you sit and stand correctly, your posture protects parts of your body. Keeping muscles, ligaments, and bones in their natural position relieves stress on the back. Slouching, or rolling shoulders forward, shortens your chest muscles and reduces flexibility. Swayback posture creates an exaggerated curve between the pelvis and ribs that stresses the lower back. Over time, these stresses can inhibit breathing, cause muscle fatigue, or result in varying degrees of back pain. Many posture problems result from sitting for long periods of time. Sitting is harder on the back than standing or lying down. Poorly fitting shoes, especially high heels, are another problem. Some posture dilemmas are the result of a temporary strain that has become a habit, such as swaying your back during pregnancy. Good posture is the result of a combination of factors. Shoulders should be pulled back and down, with the head held high. The stomach and buttocks should be pulled in and the chin tucked in. When sitting, make sure your thighs are parallel to the ground and that your head isn't slumped forward. Disciplines such as Pilates and yoga encourage proper posture.