Mom was right--stand up straight.

• Position: Posture - Brief Article

Remember your mother poking you in the back and admonishing you to stand up straight? Well, it turns out Mom knew best. According to the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource, bad posture doesn't just make you look dumpy, it can lead to serious health problems.

When you sit and stand correctly, your posture protects parts of your body. Keeping muscles, ligaments, and bones in their natural position relieves stress on the back. Slouching, or rolling shoulders forward, shortens your chest muscles and reduces flexibility. Swayback posture creates an exaggerated curve between the pelvis and ribs that stresses the lower back. Over time, these stresses can inhibit breathing, cause muscle fatigue, or result in varying degrees of back pain.

Many posture problems result from sitting for long periods of time. Sitting is harder...