The young man on the left is 14 years old, but his back doesn’t look much better than the back of the 80-year-old woman of the right, who suffers from severe osteoporosis. Source: LivingPosture.com

Did your mom bug you about your posture? Mine did not, but I started paying attention to it when I got into singing in high school. Good posture helps you sing better by letting your lungs expand more easily. If you’re an actor, it helps you project better. So for practical reasons, I tried to get into the habit of standing up straight. When I got into running and studied proper form, posture became even more important. Running while slouching makes it harder to breathe and makes your core muscles waste energy to carry your torso in an inefficient position.

As I got older, I started realizing that how you sit and stand makes a difference in how you look as well. Ever notice how people who slouch look a bit lazy? Bored? Lacking in confidence? Apathetic? About 20 pounds heavier than they really are? Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think so. See what you think the next time you’re around a group of people.

Many, if not most, people have poor posture. I know that I do sometimes. Try this experiment: Find a mirror in a private room, take off your shirt, and turn sideways without trying to stand up unusually straight. Look at your spine, chest, and belly. Then try standing as straight as possible and contract your abs. Make a difference? How do you look? How do you feel about yourself? Do you seem to project a different image?

According to the Washington Post, here’s how it’s supposed to work.