Workplace Posture Essentials

“Me” is about making the most out of all your movements. It’s natural to get “sloppy”: a lot of our aches and pains come from misusing our bodies throughout the day. Is your posture good in the following situations?

  • Sitting at the Desk
  • Using the Computer
  • Talking on the Phone
  • Twisting/Rotating to Reach for Something
  • Using the iPad

Notice how you are sitting. Are you slouched? Do you tuck your feet in under the chair? 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 and musculature 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
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:
Use a chair that supports you in your correct posture
Make adjustments to chair height, computer monitors, lighting and peripherals so that you can stay within your proper Range of Motion and in posture

Do all of this on a consistent basis and you will notice a difference!

Sitting at the Desk (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

Using the Computer (Controlled Overhead Lift: Sitting on Big Ball)

Position

  • Sit on the ball with good “Me” posture
  • Hold arms chest height or lower
  • Choose the longest distance away from the sternum that still allows you to keep shoulder blades
  • “pinched”
  • Keep feet flat, relaxed and slightly in front of knees

Action

  • Visualize the ball being connected to your center
  • Slowly lift the ball, but only as far as you can maintain posture and alignment
  • Slowly return to starting position, maintaining correct “Me” posture and alignment
  • Repeat

Tips

  • Focus on keeping the chest up when the ball is coming down (we tend to slouch)
  • Always keep the center engaged (mind your “Dime” and “Zipper”)
  • The motion will seem small and restricted: this is normal as we build our posture “memory”

Talking on the Phone (Pullback with Band)

Position

  • Standing with good “Me” posture
  • Hands face up on band about shoulder width apart

Action

  • Slowly pull band into chest with elbows bent
  • Slowly release, keeping tension on the band with shoulders engaged
  • Repeat

Tips

  • Keep tension on the band
  • Maintain correct posture
  • Always keep shoulders engaged

Twisting/Rotating to Reach Something (Trunk Rotation: Sitting on Big Ball)

Position

  • Start with good “Me” posture and alignment
  • Keep ball at chest height, in front of you

Action

  • Slowly rotate ball to one side only as far as your Range of Motion will allow
  • 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”

Using the iPad (Pull Down with Band)

Position

  • Stand with good “Me” posture
  • Hands palms down on band about shoulder width apart
  • Arms up in front at 45 degree angle with elbows bent

Action

  • Slowly pull arms down and out to side while pulling band into chest
  • Slowly and slightly release tension on the band while keeping shoulders pinched in back
  • Repeat

Tips

  • Keep tension out of neck by checking correct posture or spread of hands on the band
  • Only do as many as you can while maintaining proper form
  • Always keep shoulders engaged