POSTURE: PART 2

 

ACHIEVING AND MAINTAINING GOOD POSTURE

To Begin: stand relaxed with your weight in the center of your feet, slightly toward the heels, but without challenging your balance. You may find that this instantly relaxes your spine and pelvis.

  • Relax your shoulders. Don’t hunch. Let your arms hang at your sides, palms facing toward the rear. 

  • The position of your head should be such that, viewed from either side, the vertical midline of each ear is aligned with the midline of its corresponding shoulder. Think of a helium balloon on a string attached to the back of the top of your head, as if it were gently stretching and lifting the back of your head, elongating your neck.

  • When walking, think of leading with your sternum (breast bone). Not jutting it out, but again, imagine a string at the center of your sternum gently pulling you forward as you walk. Do not lead with your head. 

  • Drop your tailbone. You can use the image of a weight at the end of a string that is attached to your sacrum, gently pulling the bottom of your spine toward the center of the earth. 

  • When sitting, have your weight more forward in your seat; that is, leaning forward a bit, from your hips, as if you were about to stand. Or if you have a lumbar support chair you can sit up straight with your back against the back of the chair. Do not slouch with a “C” curve in your lower back. Your lumbar spine should be convex (curved forward from the top of the lumbar spine to bottom), not concave.

TO MAINTAIN GOOD POSTURE:

  • See a Chiropractor. It’s our number one job to make sure that one’s spine is aligned and unrestricted, and that there is minimal stress on the nervous system. 

  • See an Applied Kinesiologist, such as myself ☺. I am an Applied Kinesiologist as well as a Chiropractor. Applied Kinesiologists test and balance muscles. We determine whether a muscle is overly contracted or overly weak, and why. We then proceed to restore balance through working at the muscular attachments, or by stimulating reflexes to encourage lymphatic flow and detoxification, and/or increase blood flow to the muscle.

  • Develop a very strong core. Your abdominal muscles are the front of your back, I like to say. The stronger they are, the easier it will be for you to maintain good posture.

  • Do yoga. It’s one of the best forms of exercise in terms of paying attention to proper alignment while stretching and strengthening.

  • Be conscious. The more you pay attention to your posture, the easier and more natural it will be to maintain good posture. It becomes second nature until, at some point, you will no longer have to think about STANDING UP STRAIGHT!

 
Hannah Mac