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Picture Perfect Posture
By Tamara Colarossi

 

Yeah, you’ve heard it before: “stand up straight!”. Well, keeping your back straight, shoulders down, and stomach in not only improves your appearance, but there are many more compelling reasons to heed that oft-heard advice. The way we sit and stand greatly affects our overall health and physical confidence.

Poor posture compresses the internal organs and contributes to shallow breathing, bad digestion, poor circulation, putting you at a greater risk for injury and achy muscles. Here are some helpful hints for better posture.

  1. Stacking your bricks right
    Gymnastic Guru Steve Greeley teaches people to “stack their bricks” in a way that will make a stronger body. If you were building a wall and just put the bricks down randomly and off-center, you would end up with a wall that is weak and will collapse. The same principle applies to your bones: properly aligning your body will make it structurally stronger and help to protect your muscles from physical stress. This will allow your body to work longer and with more coordination.
  2. Staying Agile
    Cats are a perfect example of supple grace. When you wake up in the morning, instead of the usual arms-out-to-the-side stretch, or, worse yet, just springing straight into action, pretend like you are a cat and really give your body a smooth, graceful stretch. Also, try not to sit still for too long. Kids are good role models for healthy bodies because, as anyone who has spent time with kids knows, they can hardly sit still for more than a few minutes. Of course gymnastics or yoga will increase your flexibility and range of motion, but if you don’t have time for a regular class, just stretch on your own for a few minutes each day.
  3. Practice
    Like any good foundation, let’s start at the bottom, with your ankles- When you stand with your feet about 4 to 6 inches apart, toes forward, is your weight centered on your ankle? Check by having someone run their finger down your tibia (shin bone) and see where it ends. Are you shifting your weight to one side or the other? If so, correct it.

    Hips can be aligned by tucking your pelvis forward and pulling in your stomach muscles. (Not “sucking” in your stomach, because then you can’t breathe, and the last time I checked, breathing was really important.) Try using your muscles to hold your pelvis in place. This may take some practice.
    Next, roll your shoulders forward, up, then down and back. Where are your hands hanging? If they are in front of your thighs, your shoulders are too forward. If they hang centered on your hips, you are in alignment. This feels weird at first for a lot of people who are used to hunching over.

    Now, lift your spine as though there were a string tied to the top of your head making you taller and taller.

    Now smile. A beautiful body is always made better by a beautiful smile.

Checking for scoliosis
Check your children on a regular basis for scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. Do this by having your child stand in a pike position, with their head hanging toward the ground. Take your 1st and 2nd fingers in a small “V” and run your fingers from one end of the spine to the other, do it in both directions. If you feel or see that the spine is curving laterally, you should contact your doctor for a more thorough exam. You may also notice uneven shoulders or hips, again, talk to your doctor. Early detection is extremely helpful to the treatment of scoliosis.

Try to remember to correct your posture any time you feel yourself getting tired or you notice that you are not in alignment. Use mirrors or a friend to help you remember. It does take practice, but you will love the results! You will feel a light, graceful confidence.

 

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