Simple Strategies for Youthful Posture :: Fitness

Simple Strategies for Youthful Posture
by author Sam Graci

Good posture is good for your health and great for your image. But what exactly is good posture and how do you get it?

The fact that posture deteriorates in 80 percent of people as they age suggests the musculoskeletal system needs our help to stay aligned. Over time, the stress of poor posture can lead to painful constriction of blood vessels and nerves, as well as create life-long problems with muscles, bones, discs, and joints.

Send the Right Message

Correct posture promotes efficient, fluid movement as well as pain-free performance. Good posture can also affect your image; are you broadcasting affirmative body language signals such as balanced, centred, and confident, or is your posture giving the impression that you are uptight, closed, and unapproachable?

What posture messages are you sending?

After initial correction of bad posture habits, these improvements tend to become automatic and require very little effort to maintain.

Correct Head Posture

The weight of the average head is almost 10 lb (4.5 kg). For every 1 in (2.5 cm) your head (which should be centred over your shoulders) leans forward or sideways, it causes an extra 10 lb (4.5 kg) of compressive force on the lower neck. If you have a forward or sideways head posture of 2 in (5 cm), this adds 20 lb (9 kg) of weight on your lower neck–guaranteed to cause headaches, fatigue, and neck aches.

Your neck responds best to isometric exercise. Put your fist below your chin and press your chin down gently for 30 seconds. Do this four times a day to strengthen the postural muscles and keep your head positioned correctly.

Correct Standing Posture

Make sure your earlobes are in line with the middle of your shoulders.
Keep your shoulder blades back and chest forward.
Keep your knees straight and gently tuck your stomach in.

Correct Sitting Posture

Keep your shoulders back and your back straight. Your buttocks should touch the back of your chair.
Use a small, rolled-up towel or a lumbar roll to help you maintain the normal curves in your back, especially when spending a long time driving.
Keep your knees at the same level as your hips.

Correct Sleeping Posture

Avoid sleeping on your stomach as this can cause back strain.
If you sleep on your back, maintain the curve in your back with a pillow or foam support under your knees.
If you sleep on your side, keep your knees slightly bent.
Your pillow should be placed so it supports only your head. Keep your head and shoulders in a straight line.

Sam Graci is co-author of The Bone-Building Solution (Wiley, 2006).

Source: alive #301, November 2007

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