Have you ever paid attention to those anatomy charts in the doctor's office, or the ones found in encyclopedias and textbooks? Ever wonder why they all look the same as far as how the model is standing? Well, if you have (or even if you haven't), here's the reason: it's because his posture is the gold standard, the way we should all stand if we want our body to function at its peak.

Do you stand like that? Do you know anyone who stands like that? Probably not. Most people don't, because most people have very poor posture. They slouch, and lean, and shuffle. How you stand, however, paints a very informative picture of how your body functions as a whole. Your posture and alignment are the very basis of your movement patterns, and if you're beginning from a less-than-optimal position then it stands to reason that your movement is going to be less-than-optimal as well. It's the domino effect.

Having an optimal standing posture, however, does a lot of great things for your body. First of all, it helps neutralize the downward pull that gravity constantly exerts on you. If you're slouching forward (like a lot of people do), you're giving gravity more area to pull down on. Try this: bend your waist forward to a 45-degree angle, making a very wide ?V? shape with your body. Can you feel the stress start on your lower back? Now, imagine how much it would strain your back to walk around for just 10 minutes like this. Ouch!

Although this is an extreme example of what poor posture can do to you, it helps drive the point home. Your body experiences lower-grade, omnipresent stress when you walk around constantly with poor posture. This can help contribute to long-term problems and pain. Just because you don't feel the stress like you do when you're bent over, doesn't mean it isn't there. Your body is compensating for this stress, and it will surface eventually, in the form of pain.

Making an effort to improve your posture will pay off in more ways than you can imagine. Not only will your body thank you by feeling better, your self-esteem will as well. Think of how you feel when you see someone walking down the street with their head held high, their shoulders back, walking quickly and with purpose? You think, ?Wow, they must be someone important.? Or, you get the feeling that they're full of confidence and have no doubt that whatever they set out to do, they'll get it done. Proper posture will do positive things for your mental and spiritual state as well as helping you to eliminate aches and pains, so spend some time improving it!

Study that anatomy chart, and start walking tall.