I, like so many people, come from a long line of bad backs. My grandfather, a fireman in Nashua, NH, was a wiry man with major back issues. I’ve battled congenital sciatica nerve problems for over 40 years. The saving grace in my life has been yoga. About 16 years ago, after needing a regime of steroids to combat the pain, I started seriously practicing yoga. And while I am proud that I can do head and handstands, it’s more important that I can ride my Harley Heritage Classic to Bar Harbor, Maine, which Dick and I just did, via the Hudson Valley, Woodstock, VT, and Portland, ME. Each summer we put on many enjoyable and sometimes challenging miles on our bikes. Read here from the WSJ how good posture contributes to a range of health benefits, from reducing back pain to boosting mood. But even for people in good shape, bad posture habits often need constant vigilance to avoid the slump.

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