Try this selection of low impact moves that will make you sit, stand and walk taller

There’s no question that good posture empowers, and when you carry yourself confidently the world knows you’re feeling good about yourself. If you’ve never managed to break the slouching habit you developed as a child, though, it’s not too late to learn. To help boost your posture as well as your esteem, we’ve compiled a series of exercises from various practices that help lengthen and strengthen your body and improve alignment. Embrace any or all of these disciplines and you’ll notice a difference straightaway.

The discipline: The Alexander Technique

‘One of the primary aims of the Alexander Technique is to make good posture easy to attain,’ says Sabrina Kiefer of The Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique in London. ‘It’s a practical method for improving the way we carry ourselves in everyday life through learning how to change habits that can potentially harm alignment,’ she adds. During a one-on-one session, the teacher will help you ‘unlearn’ current postural positions that cause muscle tension and figure out your body’s optimum way of moving. The process is quite slow and can take weeks – even up to 30 lessons – before you feel proficient at putting this into practice on your own.

During the first session, the instructor will scrutinise the way you stand, walk, sit and lie, and then he or she will gently guide your body into the correct pattern of movement. The concept of this technique involves practising how to use your body’s muscles with the least amount of effort. Teachers recommend doing the following exercise for 15 to 20 minutes a day. Over time, this exercise can add an inch or more to your height.

The move: Lie on the floor with your head balanced on a pile of paperback books stacked about as high as your hand span. Gently rest your hands on either side of your navel and bring your feet in towards your buttocks so that your knees point up towards the ceiling. Try to become aware of any tension in your body. As you feel it, don’t try to correct your position. Instead, think about your spine lengthening and the tension disappearing.

What it does: Staying in this position for about 20 minutes will help you isolate aches and pains, which usually signal imbalances in your body, and teach you what it feels like for your body to be balanced. The aim is to eventually walk, stand and sit in this same symmetrical way.

For more information: Contact The Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique in London (0207 284 3338) for a list of qualified instructors, or visit their website at www.stat.org.uk

The discipline: Pilates

A no-sweat routine that improves posture, muscle tone and strength, Pilates is more than just a series of exercises. It is a way of getting to know how different muscles work and honing your ability to create a lean, healthy and tall body. ‘One of the eight principles of Pilates is alignment,’ explains Lynne Robinson, a leading Pilates expert based in London, and co-author of The Official Body Control Pilates Manual (£16.99 MacMillian). ‘Pilates helps you be constantly aware of how you should stand, sit or lie, and by moving correctly, you can gradually bring your body back into proper alignment,’ she says. Robinson explains that, when we don’t move correctly, we negatively affect the anti-gravity postural muscles deep within our body. This is detrimental because these muscles support the spine and other joints and, if weakened, other muscles will take on their role and imbalances will occur.

The move – The Diamond Press: Lie on your front with your feet parallel and hip-width apart. Create a diamond shape with your arms by placing your fingertips together just above your forehead. Your elbows should be open and your shoulder blades relaxed. Breathe in and lengthen through your spine. Breathe out, pull your abdominal muscles in and pull the shoulder blades down and back towards your waist. Gently tuck in your chin to lengthen the back of your neck and lift your head three or four centimetres off the floor. Hold this position, looking down at the floor and imagine a cord pulling you from the top of your head. Notice the connection down into the small of your back, by lightly pushing on the elbows and thinking about them connecting with your waist. Breathe in and hold the position. Keep your lower stomach lifted and your ribs on the floor. Breathe out, keeping your tummy pulled in, then slowly lower down to the floor. Repeat five times.

What it does:This subtle exercise encourages the lengthening of the back and helps reverse the effects of being hunched over all day. ‘You can feel the tension in your neck release, as the muscles that stabilise your shoulder blades kick in,’ says Robinson.

For more information: Contact The Body Control Pilates Association, P.O. Box 29061, London WC2H 9TB. Send a self-addressed envelope for a list of teachers. You may also ring the information line (0870 1690000) or log onto the Body Control website at www.bodycontrol.co.uk.

The discipline: Yoga

‘The state of our minds and our bodies are intimately linked,’ explains Ken Simmons, Chairman of The British Wheel of Yoga in London, a governing body for this practice in Great Britain. ‘If your muscles are relaxed, then your mind is also relaxed. But if you’re like most people and your mind is anxious, your body suffers too.’ Simmons explains that as a result of chronic stress, many people spend much of their lives in a state of physical and mental tension,’ he says. This not only gives rise to ailments such as a clenched jaw and a stiff neck, but it affects the way in which we hold ourselves and develop our posture. ‘The asanas, or poses, in yoga encourage good posture and strengthen the back, but yoga also relaxes and tones the muscles, stimulating internal organs and regulating breathing,’ says Simmons.

The move – The Triangle:

Stand with your feet about three to four feet apart. Turn your left foot ninety degrees to the left and your right foot 45 degrees to the left. Stretch your left arm out at shoulder level and bring the right arm straight up against your right ear. Inhale, then as you exhale, bend over left and slightly forward, as you slide your left hand down your left leg. Grasp onto your calf or ankle, depending on how far down you can stretch. Now, look up and back at your right hand and feel the gentle stretch in your spine. Take several full breaths in this position before releasing it. Repeat the same move on the right side.

What it does:

This movement gives your spine an excellent lateral stretch and helps your digestive system function properly.

Contact: The British Wheel of Yoga at 25 Jermyn Street, Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 7RU. Ring them on 01529 306851 or click on www.bwy.org.uk.