My laptop is an extension of my body. Sometimes I actually feel as if I have a keyboard and 12-inch screen growing out of my thighs. This unhealthy connection to my computer has resulted not only in strained relationships with my neglected loved ones, but also in a myriad of physical ailments that include strained eyes, tense shoulders, and a stiff neck.

“Mention posture, and people conjure antiquated images of stiff-backed children with books balanced on their heads,” writes Catherine Saint Louis in this week’s Thursday Styles section of The New York Times. “But today there is a new focus on standing tall that is less a matter of etiquette than a strategy for keeping aging bodies supple and pain free.”