RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—If you slump over your keyboard like a sorry sack of potatoes (you’re crouched over it right now, aren’t you?), or you find that your back is as rigid as a two-by-four, it’s time for a fix. In 2004, the American Chiropractic Association and the International Chiropractors Association proclaimed May “Correct Posture Month,” so now’s the perfect time to focus on fixing your aching spine.

THE DETAILS: Good posture isn’t just for catwalking supermodels or those guards in the big fuzzy hats at Buckingham Palace. It’s the force that holds you up against gravity, allowing you to dance, run, garden, and generally get around. And ignoring your posture is going to leave you with more than a cranky back. If your spine’s out of whack, you can experience all sorts of aches and pains all over your body. “Poor posture can lead to loss of shoulder motion, chronic pain, walking deficits, neck-related headaches, the inability to exercise, and more,” says Greg Thielman, PT, EdD, ATC, assistant professor of physical therapy at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. “The long-term benefits of proper posture include helping to decrease abnormal wearing of joint surfaces, lessening stress on the ligaments of the spine, preventing the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions, and preventing backache and muscular pain,” he adds.

WHAT IT MEANS: Many of us are trapped in front of a computer all day, or otherwise scrunched up, slouched, leaning, and generally in pain. Whoever created cubicle workstations probably never had to work in one every day. As it turns out, chronic sitting is not only wrecking our posture, it’s actually killing us: Sitting increases your odds of dying when compared to people who are up and about most of the day, according to a study just published in the journal Medicine & Exercise in Sports & Exercise.

Improve your posture, eliminate pains, and lengthen your life with these easy tips: