Straigthen up! Good posture can have a rapid effect on improving your health.

A healthy and attractive body is the result of several factors. Nutrition, cardiovascular/aerobic exercise, and resistance training are a few of the better known and employed elements that positively change the human physique. However, there is one element of physical change that is quite powerful but that often goes overlooked. That element is posture. Everyone focuses on diet and exercise, which are very important, but often ignores posture. But consider the person who has a good diet, exercises, but has very poor posture. The image is one of sickness, not health. Poor posture can spoil an otherwise positive approach to the care of the body. Beyond just the appearance, posture can even affect the health.

One of the best benefits about incorporating good posture into your body care program is that the results are almost instantaneous. With many of the other elements, such as diet or exercise, there is a lag between the time when the exercise is performed (or diet is embarked upon) and the results. Not so with posture--you can realize the benefits right away. No other element of body care is so quick or apparent.

The benefits of good posture make it a desirable factor to focus on. Consider the following advantages:

1. Optimal organ and muscle function for maximum energy, endurance, and vigor.

2. Optimal biomechanics for the best possible muscle performance.

3. A neck, shoulders, and upper back that are not more painful or fatigued than the rest of the body at the end of the day or at the end of a long drive.

4. Greater concentration and mental ability (as a result of this reduced pain and fatigue).

5. Fewer upper and lower back problems.

6. A flatter and stronger stomach--in fact, without proper posture you can never achieve the flattest stomach and smallest waist possible.

7. A more respect-producing, confident, competent, vigorous, youthful appearance.

If those benefits don't excite you, nothing will. And you can start to experience them right now.

Good posture is not some complicated formula to try and figure out.

Physical therapist Darlene Pope points out that "good posture is the maintenance of the normal curvatures of the spine." If your spine is out of shape, the rest of your body will follow suit. The spine is the foundation for the rest of your body structure. If you let poor posture prevail, your joints and muscles will pay the price, as will your appearance. On the other hand, if you keep your spine lined up correctly, you greatly benefit the rest of the body. Here are some helpful tips on how to do that from the magazine Prime Health & Fitness:

* Never sleep on your stomach.

* Pick a firm mattress (neither too soft nor too firm).

* When you sit, your shoulders should be aligned vertically over your hips, and do not cross your legs at the thighs.

* Sit symmetrically so there's pressure on both hips.

Many people spend most of the day sitting--driving to and from work, watching television or surfing the Internet, and sitting at the desk in the office. You should also employ good posture when seated, since much of the day is spent in this condition. The seat height of your work chair should be approximately the length of your lower leg, and make sure the chair seat width is two inches wider than your buttocks for adequate support. Another good idea is to take a break and get out of the chair every now and then.

Sleeping is another position in which posture can be adjusted. Darlene Pope advises that when you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your legs and a small rolled towel at the curve of your neck. If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees. She also notes that it's not a good idea to sleep on your stomach.

Developing good posture does not mean you have to start strutting around like a peacock. Instead, good posture requires you to align your earlobe over the middle of your shoulders and over your hip joint, as well as over a point roughly an inch in front of the ankle joint. Draw that line mentally; then line your body up accordingly. Shoulders should be back and down, with the chin and chest slightly up, and the waist tucked slightly in.

The fastest way you can improve your health and appearance is by paying attention to your posture. Straighten up and start enjoying the benefits that good posture provides--today.

Dwayne Hines II is a writer living in Boise, Idaho