If you work an office job or if you're in school, you probably find yourself sitting quite a bit. When doing so, "your head should be over your shoulders with your shoulders over your pelvis," notes Dr. Rahul Shah, a board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon. Yalamanchi adds that it's also best to maintain a 90-degree angle at the hips and knees, and to keep your feet flat on the floor.

Finally, Dr. Shah says, "While working at a desk, it is important to switch up your position from time to time so that you don't fatigue your back or shoulders." Try standing up and walking around once an hour. Bonus points for doing some stretches! This will also give your eyes a break from the screen!

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Sleeping is another one of those things that varies from person to person, but ultimately your goal should be to feel supported at key places — including your neck and spine — throughout the night.

"While sleeping, the use of a pillow can make a huge contribution to keeping your spine neutral and your body happy," notes Joyce. "If you sleep on your sides, a pillow between the legs will keep your top leg from pulling the lumbar spine out of neutrality. Also hugging a large pillow can help stop the top shoulder from falling forward and pulling the neck with it. If you sleep on your back, a pillow underneath the knees with help to keep tight hip flexors from pulling your lumbar spine into extension."

Also important: your pillow height! Too big or too small and your neck will fall out of alignment and put you at risk to wake up with stiffness. Ultimately, it is important that your pillow allows your cervical spine to stay parallel with the ground.

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By understanding what bad posture looks like — and what good posture looks like — you're really already halfway there! Pats on your (upright) back for getting this far. In the next few slides, we're outlining some easy and concrete ways you can improve your posture starting as soon as today.

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"You must reverse the positions that you spend most of your time in," says Joyce. "Many people find it useful to put on a recurring timer that reminds them to get up and move on a regular basis."

For example, if you sit at a desk with your hips flexed and shoulders and arms forward, then take time each day to extend the hips and get your chest opened up with your arms out to the side.

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If you've already got a good yoga habit, keep it up! Otherwise, incorporating deep stretching into your workout regimen — yoga or otherwise — is very important for your long-term health and posture.

Joyce says that a deep lunge position is a great anterior hip opener, and that a foam roller placed underneath the spine while you lay down with the arms out to the side will put a great stretch across the chest. He says, "Try to spend a minimum of two minutes in these positions, but of course the longer you spend sitting the more time it will take to counteract."

Yalamanchili also recommends a good pectoral stretch for those who sit in front of a computer throughout the day. "Stand in a doorway or at the corner of two walls. Bend your arms and place forearms against the wall with the elbow at shoulder height. Slowly turn your body away from one arm till you feel a stretch through your chest and shoulder," he advises. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat for three reps, then repeat on the other side."

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