Head up, shoulders back, stomach in. The vision of perfect posture can conjure up some pretty old-school and anal-retentive images: cotillion; finishing schools; the young lady in a sensible box-pleat dress, walking across the room with a stack of books on her head.

The quest for ladylike poise may have given the upright posture game an uptight rep, but modern-day research shows that body alignment isn’t just about sitting pretty, or even physical well being for that matter — we’ve long known that proper posture can reduce muscle pain, joint strain, headaches, and more. Studies are showing that standing tall is also about emotional health. As it turns out, our slouchy ways can do more than mess with our musculoskeletal system, they can negatively affect the way we feel.

Read the rest here