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Posts Tagged ‘improve posture’

Poor posture is not just a pain in the back, it is a pain in the neck, the knees, the head and the hips. It can even cause digestive issues and stomach upset. The human body is designed for optimal function with a straight spine, not slumped shoulders or a swayed back. These examples of poor posture throw off your body’s natural alignment. When this occurs, the result is difficult mobility, pain and discomfort not just in the back or neck, but throughout the body. Every part of the body can be affected by poor posture. Internal organs may even be crowded so they are not able to function correctly.

If there is one unfortunate thing when learning how to improve posture, it’s this: Correcting poor posture is more of a challenge the longer you’ve been standing and sitting improperly. You can relearn your posture, but you’ll need to work at it for a while – poor posture weakens the muscles of you back, abdomen and neck. Stretching the spine and all of the muscles which are directly attached to it is the best way to restore proper posture.

Many exercise programs have been developed which are designed to help people relearn good posture. However, the majority of these programs don’t focus on stretching the spine. Any program which doesn’t do this won’t provide any kind of lasting effect. Stretching the spine is the most important part of getting rid of poor, slumped over posture.

The spine, also known as the backbone, is the center of your body. It supports everything from limb movement to range of motion in your core, to carrying messages from your brain throughout your body. It is a long series of bones, small joints known as vertebrae, bound by connective tissue. There are long, strong muscles that run along either side of the spine.

Spinal health is vital not only to helping you achieve good posture, but also for overall general health. It supports your core and helps keep your organs from being crowded.

Tight spinal muscles can not only cause poor posture, they can also cause a considerable amount of pain. A tense or tight spine can lead to pain throughout the body, fatigue, headaches and constipation. You can experience a very limited range of motion and may even have difficulty moving your legs.

Stretching is a good way to relieve the tension of tight muscles. It lengthens them while relieving the tightness and helping the reach the correct length for your body. When your spine is supple and strong, the other muscles in the body do not have to work so hard.

This alleviates muscle pain and reduces tension as well as allowing you to have a wider range of motion. Every part of your body is better able to carry out its natural functions when you stretch regularly – you’ll have more energy and sleep better as well. Stretching is a simple cure and preventative measure for the many different problems which poor posture and the muscle tension which come with it can cause.

When you are considering a program to correct your posture, make sure that stretching is included. This vital activity should not be neglected! A good program will incorporate good posture exercises, spine stretching exercises, strength training, relaxation and body awareness, teaching you to focus on what you feel in your body and responding to that. Once you find a good program, stick with it and you will be pain free with a good, healthy, relaxed posture in no time!

When you embark on a system of exercises to improve posture, it might be frustrating at first.  It is very common to expect a lot out of your own body.  We want fast results, and we can hurt ourselves if we are not careful.

However, we can temper ourselves with virtues that help us reconnect to the reality of our bodies and help us cope with the more difficult parts of our practice.  I have borrowed these four powerful virtues from yoga and tai chi so that we may reap their benefits.

1. Patience

The first week or two of a new exercise routine usually give you big results.  You’re working new muscles in new ways, so your muscle adapts relatively quickly.  But soon you reach your muscle’s capacity to change quickly, and you must slowly and persistently exercise it to see any gains.  This can take time.  The same works for your posture.  You will see big gains at first, but then you must be patient and do the exercises correctly and consistently.  Over time, you will notice an improvement in how you hold yourself up.  So keep at it.

2. Modesty

Sometimes, we expect too much of our body.  We stretch too far or try to lift too much.  We can easily injure ourselves.  Often, it is not serious.  But when dealing with the spine and tendons, we should be very careful.  Our spine is necessary for nearly all functions of the body.  Without it, we cannot stand, sit, lift, or roll over.

Remember: you are not invincible, nor are you made of rubber.  Your tendons and ligaments can’t stretch more that 4% of their length without injury.  You want to gently stretch your tendons and ligaments, only to stimulate them.  When your muscles begin to spasm (or twitch), do not stretch further.  Your tendons are sending a distress signal to your muscles to protect them from overstretching.

3. Awareness

Paying attention to our own bodies is so important, yet we often just zone out and watch TV while we’re at the gym.  We could be feeling all sorts of pain from our body, but we aren’t listening.  When your trying to improve your posture, you absolutely must focus on your own body.  How are you holding yourself?  What is tight?  What can I relax?  By paying attention to our movements, we can do them more correctly, improve our enjoyment, and increase our quality of life.

4. Grace

There is an elegance in every movement.  Your job is to find the elegance in the movement you are doing right now.  Stay present in your exercise, and look for a way to do the exercise with grace.  Since exercises reflect who you want to be, you should do them with the utmost care.

These four virtues, which play a large part in yoga, help make the connection between your exercises to improve posture and the rest of your life.  A complete exercise system couldn’t function without these or similar principles.  They are so vital to bringing the benefits of your practice to the rest of your life.