Standing up straight can be a challenge. Some of us have orthopedic issues but others have just developed bad habits, like slouching when sitting in front of a computer or after a long day of work.

No matter the reason for our bad posture, we should be standing up straight if we can. Experts say poor posture screws with our muscles, puts extra wear on our joints, makes our organs operate less efficiently and could make us more prone to injury. And in case you needed any more incentive, in many people’s eyes, the body language of bad posture says you are not confident.

One trick to improve your alignment is to push out your chest, as if a string is pulling your sternum up and away from you. But that little hack does not explain the finer details of what your body should look like and why. If you want better posture but you’re not sure where to start, this infographic may help. It goes through the basics of standing up straight, with examples of good and bad spine alignment, as well as an exercise to strengthen the foot involving a pencil. Foot strength will, in turn, improve the knees because they just go where the lower extremities and hips tell them to.

Read: 6 Ways Your Desk Job Is Killing You

“Having excellent posture need not feel affected, forced, or uncomfortable,” personal trainer and fitness expert Susie Lemmer writes on Fix.com. “Instead, working on one’s posture can have incredibly positive effects on one’s mentality and health.”

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Source: Fix.com Blog

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