Start by Making Your Life a Workout!
All exercise is movement…and movement is part of our everyday existence. The starting point for correcting bad postural habits and imbalances is with our movements throughout the day. Building a foundation here is critical for any exercise modality: once we introduce resistance to our training regimen we run the risk of adding to any imbalances.
We will start with five exercises that address some common areas of weakness:
- Good Sitting Posture
- Sitting on Big Ball: Inner Thigh Squeeze with Little Ball
- Trunk Rotation: Sitting on Big Ball
- Bent Arm Pullback: Band Around Pole
- Extended Arm Pullback: Band Around Pole
Good Sitting Posture
Notice how you are sitting…are you slouched? Do you tuck in your feet? Does your chin jut forward? If you do any of these, you are creating postural imbalances that could affect you as you age.
When in perfect posture all of our systems work as a coordinated, efficient unit.
Position
- Visualize yourself as a “Puppet on a String”
- Keep shoulders back
- Lift your chest
- Hold your “Dime” tight (this is hard to do when you are sitting!)
- Zip your “Zipper”
- Keep your feet on the floor in front of knees
- Position your feet flat on the floor, with weight evenly distributed on the bottoms
- Draw your inner thighs towards each other
Action
- Maintain good sitting posture in all situations
Tips
- Create a healthy sitting environment by adjusting the workspace to help you stay within your Range of Motion: Change numbers to bullets (below)
- Use a chair that supports you in your correct posture
- Make adjustments to computer monitors, lighting, and peripherals so that you can stay within your proper Range of Motion and in posture
- Do this on a consistent basis and you will notice a difference!
Sitting on Big Ball: Inner Thigh Squeeze with Little Ball
Position
- Sit on the Big Ball
- Visualize yourself as a “Puppet on a String”
- Keep shoulders back
- Lift your chest
- Hold your “Dime” tight (this is hard to do when you are sitting!)
- Zip your “Zipper”
- Keep your feet on the floor in front of knees
- Position your feet flat on the floor, with weight evenly distributed on the bottoms
- Draw your inner thighs towards each other with the Little Ball between them
Action
- Squeeze ball gently using the inner thighs
- Slightly release without losing tension on the ball
- Repeat
Tips
- If you find yourself arching the back, check your “Dime” and “Zipper”
- When you correct the “Dime” and “Zipper” avoid slouching your shoulders
- Try to maintain both: it will be a great workout
Trunk Rotation: Sitting on Big Ball
Position
- Start with good “Me” posture and alignment
- Keep ball at chest height, in front
Action
- Slowly rotate ball to one side only as far as your Range of Motion allows
- Repeat movement to the other side
Tips
- Think and initiate from the center (in between the hip bones)
- Keep feet relaxed
- Keep shoulders pinched
- Watch shoulders, “Dime” and “Zipper”
Bent Arm Pullback: Band Around Pole
Position
- Place band around pole at elbow height
- Place feet shoulder width apart
- Start with slight tension on band
- Focus on proper “Me” posture: correct shoulder position, “Dime” pinched, knees soft and “Zipper” zipped
Action
- Pull arms back (bent at 90 degrees), initiating from core
- Slightly release, keeping tension on the band
- Repeat
Tips
- Focus on core, triceps and upper back
- Make wrists an extension of the arms (align them with arms)
- Don’t extend beyond your Range of Motion
Extended Arm Pullback: Band Around Pole
Position
- Place band around pole at wrist height
- Place feet shoulder width apart
- Start with band at plumb line with slight tension
- Focus on proper “Me” posture: correct shoulder position, “Dime” pinched, knees soft and “Zipper” zipped
Action
- Press extended arms back, initiating from core
- Slightly release, keeping tension on the band
- Repeat
Tips
- Focus on core, triceps and upper back
- Make wrists an extension of the arms (aligned with arms)
- Don’t extend beyond your Range of Motion
You’re Done!
Apply the “Motion Empowered” principles to your everyday life. At first it will seem a bit awkward, but very soon you will look and feel the difference: it will become a part of who you are.
Notice how you stand, sit and walk…and how you move in general. Become aware of your body’s response in various surroundings and situations. Be sensitive to the difference between your old posture and your new (when you are in proper alignment).