LET’S TALK ABOUT POSTURE
Good posture is sexy. Standing up straight is instant magical makeover.
What else can make you look - and feel:
Tall
Youthful
Powerful
Lean
Captivating
Confident
So quickly?
For a fascinating study on how your posture not only influences how you look but other people’s perception of you as well as the actual hormone levels in your body, this 2012 TED talk from Amy Cuddy is a must watch!!
Bad posture on the other hand. . . well, it has its effects on the body too:
Tension headaches
Neck pain
Shoulder pain
Shallow breathing (which leads to more neck tension)
Back pain
The tricky part is that posture is a habit. You many not think much about it until you find yourself rubbing your neck and shoulders at the end of the day.
Once you catch it . . . then what?
Even back in the 1930’s (long before cell phones) there was concern about bad posture.
The body likes to stand up straight. The bones and joint align nicely and no extra effort is required of your muscles. However, holding your head and shoulders forward, takes work - a lot of it. That roughly 10 lb head increases 10 lbs in weight for every 1 inch you lean it forward 😳.
Over time the muscles get exhausted which leads to pain - and adaptation. Some muscles become overly tight, others become chronically over stretched and our body lays down extra layers connective tissue to help hold our muscles in this unnatural position.
Which means, when you try to stretch and stand up straight, it’s hard!
It’s also totally possible to rewind the effects of bad posture.
I work on this with my clients all the time and I swear to you - it’s MAGIC. Aches and pains disappear. They move better. They feel better. They look 10 years younger.
In this video (originally recorded as a Facebook Live session, I cover 3 quick easy moves you can do at home with a foam roller to release tension in the upper back, neck, chest and shoulders to reverse the effects of a day staring at a screen. These magical moves can be done daily. Give them a try and let me know below how they feel.
For more. . .
A quick chest stretch that you can do anywhere - and - a yoga practice perfect for the end of the week.