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Perfect Posture
By Tamara
Gerlach
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.
-
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.
- 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.
- 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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