POSTURE, WHAT’S IT GOOD FOR?

It turns out that posture is important for a myriad of things. Sure great alignment makes you appear taller, leaner and more confident – and who doesn’t want that? However good alignment also allows you to move with ease, eliminates aches and pains, and can even save you energy in the long run (literally and figuratively).

You see our joints are designed to function best when they are optimally aligned. Think about the tire accidentally bumped on the curb which knocks it off kilter from the rest (not that I have ever done that). When it is out of alignment it wears out faster, makes the ride rougher, and costs you more fuel just to go the same distance. The same is true of the joints within our spine

So what can we do to improve our postural alignment and increase efficiency?

Becoming more aware of how you hold your body when you are going about your daily tasks is a great start. Are you sitting at your desk upright and aligned, or are you slouched over with your nose to the screen? Using the headrest in your car ensures you are not perpetuating forward head posture – and the pain in the neck that comes with it – on your commute.

There are many simple tricks to setting up your workspace and assessing your daily activities for opportunities to encourage good spine hygiene to discuss in future posts. In the meantime, use the simple yet powerful techniques demonstrated in the video to help improve the posture of your upper body. These myofascial releases are designed to unwind chronic tension in the body – especially due to repetitive actions like sitting at your computer or swinging a golf club; long forgotten injuries; or simply due to mental/emotional stress.

If you slump or find your shoulders hunched up to your ears, or need to open and lift the chest, these quick releases are a must. The 6″ round by 3 foot long full foam roller utilized is a versatile and inexpensive tool that should be in every household.               You can find a link to watch a video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0iQG8i7Lxs. Enjoy!