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Better Posture Made Simple
Follow these simple steps to quickly improve your posture.
1) Bring your feet parallel, not turned out, and about hip width apart. Bringing your feet parallel engages the muscles in the front of your thighs and keeps your hips, knees and ankles in proper alignment.
2) Reach up through the top of your head, feeling your spine lengthen, getting tall.
3) Bring your pelvis to a neutral position. To find this neutral position, place your hands around your hips, then tuck your tailbone slightly until your pelvis is directly over your thighs, so there is no bend in your hip joints, and there's less sway in your low back. As you tuck your tailbone, you should feel your abdominal muscles engage a bit.
4) Draw your shoulders back and relax them down, bringing your hands in line with the seams of your pants.
5) Level your chin, keeping your head directly over the spot between your shoulders, not forward or back.
Here are some easy ways to check your posture at home:
Stand facing a full length mirror and check the following
1) Your shoulders are level
2) Your head is straight, not tilted to the side 3) The spaces between your arms and your sides seem equal on both sides 4) Your hips are level, not sloped to one side 5) Your ankles are straight and not turned in or out. You can also have someone look at you from the side and check the following: 1) Your head is stacked over your body, not jutting forward or pulled back 2) Your chin is parallel to the floor, not tilting up or down 3) Shoulders are in line with ears, not drooping forward or pulled back too far 4) Your hands are in line with hips, not forward or back 5) Your knees are straight, not bent or hyper-extended 6) Your lower back is slightly curved forward, not too flat or curved too much, (creating a swayback) Do your best to practice these points of posture everyday, and before you know it, your posture will be perfect.
Do exercises that strengthen the muscles across your upper back and shoulders. These do not have to be strenuous! Try the following, with or without hand weights:
Align your ears over your shoulders. Raise both arms straight up, alongside your ears. Remember to keep your ears aligned! Bend forearms toward shoulders to touch your shoulder blades. Do 10 repetitions with both arms, then alternate 10 reps for each arm singularly.Align ears with shoulders. Raise both arms out to sides at shoulder height. Hold for a slow count of ten. Slowly lower arms to sides, counting ten as you lower. Slowly raise arms back to shoulder height, counting to ten as you raise arms. Do ten reps, constantly checking your alignment! If ten reps are too many to start, do as many as you can. You should at least feel a slight fatigue in the shoulder muscles.Be a penguin. While you wait for a web page to load, toast to pop, or the microwave to beep, place elbows at your side, and touch your shoulders with your hands. Keeping your hands on your shoulders and your ears aligned, raise both elbows (count one, two) and lower them back to your waist (count one, two). Do as many reps as your wait allows. You'll be surprised how much exercise fits into 30 seconds. |
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
A Good Posture (Compiled)
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Sitting
ReplyDelete1)Sit in an office chair.
2)Align your back with the back of the office chair. Avoid slouching or leaning forward, especially when tired from sitting in the office chair for long periods. Keep your shoulders straight.
3)Flex your arms at a 75- to 90-degree angle at the elbows. You may have to adjust the office chair.4Make sure your neck, back, and heels are all aligned.5Keep both feet flat on the floor. If there's a problem with feet reaching the floor comfortably, a footrest can be used along with the office chair. Standing
1)Stand with weight mostly on the balls of the feet, not with weight on the heels. Avoid locking your knees.
2)Keep feet slightly apart, about shoulder-width.
3)Let arms hang naturally down the sides of the body.
4)Tuck the chin in a little to keep the head level. Be sure the head is square on top of the neck and spine, not pushed out forward
5)Stand straight and tall, with shoulders upright.6Stand against a wall with shoulders and bottom touching wall. In this position, the back of the head should also touch the wall - if it does not, the head is carried too far forward (anterior head carriage). Walking
1) Keep the head up and eyes looking straight ahead. Avoid pushing your head forward.
2) Keep shoulders properly aligned with the rest of the body. Driving
1) Sit with the back firmly against the seat for proper back support. The seat should be a proper distance from the pedals and steering wheel to avoid leaning forward or reaching.
2) The headrest should support the middle of the head to keep it upright. Tilt the headrest forward if possible to make sure that the head-to-headrest distance is not more than four inches. Carrying Objects:
1) Always bend at the knees, not the waist.
2)Use the large leg and stomach muscles for lifting, not the lower back.
3) If necessary, get a supportive belt to help maintain good posture while lifting.
4) Keep large or heavy objects close to the chest when carrying them.
5) Switch arms frequently if you are carrying something with only one arm.
6) Keep backpacks and purses as light as possible, and balance the weight on both sides as much as possible, or alternate from side to side.
7) When carrying a backpack, avoid leaning forward or rounding the shoulders. If the weight feels like too much, consider using a rolling backpack with wheels. Sleeping
1) Use a firm mattress for proper back support, but remember that individual preference is very important.
2) Try to sleep on your back. Sleeping on the side will damage your posture after enough repetitions. Sleeping on your back will help straighten your shoulders, and it is usually more comfortable for the back than sleeping on the stomach.
3) Use a pillow to provide proper support and alignment for the head and shoulders.
4) Consider putting a rolled-up towel under the neck and a pillow under the knees to better
http://celestinechua.com/blog/2009/04/benefits-of-having-a-good-posture-and-13-tips-to-getting-one/
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWhat Actually Is A Correct Posture?
Ideally, a correct posture means sitting with your back straight, chest up and out and your belly completely tucked in. Make sure you do not stiff yourself so hard that it becomes a strain for your muscles and bones. Also make sure that the chair you use for a long time is comfortable and gives support to your spine. Try to sit at a go without jerking your body. Likewise, try to stand in the same flow.
Given here are certain exercises to check on your posture:
Cervical Retraction
Take a chair and sit straight, yet comfortably, on it with your feet touching the floor. Now relax for a while and then simply pull your chin straight in without nodding your head up or down. Repeat it few times for correcting your cervical posture.
Shoulder Blade Squeeze
For shoulder blade squeeze, you simply need to sit on a chair with your hands resting on your thighs. Now when you feel at ease, slowly move your shoulders backwards and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Breastbone Lift
For strengthening your lower trapezius muscles, you must perform a breastbone lift. Simply sit at ease and lift your breastbone few inches higher. Now gently compress your shoulder blades down and together.
Abdominal Pull-In
Abdominal pull-in is the best way to tuck in your bulging belly. It is also one of the easiest exercises. Simply pull your tummy in while inhaling and then exhale gradually at ease. Repeat it as many as times you can on a count of five.