As a young girl I was always one of the tallest kids in my class. My lanky frame and dangly long legs were just the beginning of my insecurities. At that age, pretty much anything can freak you out.
Pimples, freckles, knobby knees and big feet were just a few of my new physical features I had absolutely no appreciation for, but my height was probably one that seemed to bother me most.
It's hard being one of the tallest girls in the class - especially when almost every boy is a whole head shorter than you are. As I look back on my teenage years, I realize there were several things I did to try to disguise my height.
High heels were definitely not in my wardrobe and, since you can't go any lower than flats, I slowly adopted a slouch. I don't think I slouched on purpose, but I would imagine it cut a couple inches off my height - or at least it seemed.
While some may slouch out of insecurity, other people can do it without even realizing it. Even people who are comfortable with their height can have a tendency to slouch down to everyone else's eye level.
I didn't even realize I had poor posture until my husband started correcting me. Then I saw both my sisters begin the same bad habit as they entered their teens.
Although slouching may change our view, it does nothing for our appearance. When we slouch, our shoulders roll forward causing you to look even more insecure than you already are.
In addition, it causes our pelvis to tilt under, making our stomach poke out. The trend of hip hugging jeans and tight fitting shirts are not very forgiving either. At least when I was younger, I was able to cover my gut with high-wasted jeans.
Lastly, a slouch also causes us to stick our head out. Hours in front of a computer only makes things worse. What starts as a mild slouch can turn into poor posture, followed by years of chronic back pain.
Most people who have poor posture don't even realize it. If it weren't for my husband I would still be slouching. It takes a conscience decision to break the habit and work on standing up straight. It often takes loved ones to help remind you. Some people may even choose to post notes around the house to help queue them to straighten up and break the habit.
Exercise also a great way to regain good posture. Resistance training can help strengthen the muscles that support the back and stretch tight muscles that tend to draw us forward.
Although my sisters roll their eyes every time I remind them to stand up straight, eventually good posture will catch on. Occasionally, I fall back into my lazy ways too. Maintaining posture takes a little work, but you will look and feel a million times better.