$h!* you should know...Posture: it's about awareness
Posture
/'pasCHer/
noun
The position in which someone holds their body when standing or sitting
We've all had a parent, coach, friend, teacher, physician, or physical therapist mention our posture at some point. Specifically, our poor posture. We have been told to "Sit up straight," or "Lift your head," and "Shoulders back." Immediately following these comments, our awareness in draw to our posture and we make adjustments accordingly. But no less than 5 minutes later we find ourselves slumped in our desk chair, or staring down at our smart phones.
While it does require a certain amount of strength and flexibility to attain good posture, it requires awareness to maintain good posture. If we are not aware of how we are holding ourselves throughout the day, how we are sitting, how we are standing, how we walk our dog, how we hold our child, then all the strengthening and stretching will prove pointless.
Posture is 95% awareness. The more mindful we are of how we carry ourselves, the better our posture will become. What does this mean? It means that correcting our posture is well within our control! In a world where distractions, media and technology have inundated our thoughts, we have lost the ability to connect with our own bodies.
So what does good posture look like?
Good posture is a position our body maintains which places the least amount of stress on our joints and muscles. Over 4000 years ago, plumb lines were used in ancient Egypt, serving as a vertical reference to erect buildings, canals, and pyramids. A plumb line makes for a great reference point when assessing posture and defining what good posture looks like.
Below the vertical red line represents a plumb line. The figure in the image is standing in good posture. You will notice the plumb line falls through the ear lobe, shoulder joint, hip, knee and ankle joints. Good posture occurs when our joints from head to toe line up with one another, ultimately placing the least amount of stress on respective joints and muscles.
How do I become more aware of my posture? What can I do?
There are several tips and tricks that I use with my patients when it comes to improving their awareness of their posture. Below are just a few and I encourage you to try one. If it doesn't work for you, try the next one:
1. Set a timer- set an alarm on your phone, or set a timer on your stove for a daily reminder to check in with your posture.
2. Meditate- sitting, standing lying down, pick a comfortable position and just start to breathe and focus on just that, breathing. Meditation aims to bring you to the present moment which helps to improve our awareness of our bodies and how they feel. So in a way, focusing on your posture is a form of meditation. Namaste. There are various free apps available for download (I like Insight Timer because you can search based on length, styles, guided or unguided).
3. Good ol' fashion Post-Its- write a quick note, one word, or a stick figure and plaster that Post-It in a location you frequent during the day. Bathroom mirror, dashboard, computer screen. Seeing that little note will jog your memory and remind you to do a quick check-in with your posture.
4. Consult a physical therapist- are you in pain? Want another set of eyes to look at your posture? Consult a physical therapist who will complete a posture assessment and prescribe additional exercises to help improve your posture at home.
5. Exercise- say what? Yes! Exercise makes us move our bodies, which makes us pay attention to how our legs, arms and trunk change positions or perform an activity. This in turn will improve our awareness of our bodies.
Improving our posture will not just prevent future injuries, but it will also help us to appear more confident and fit! Give these suggestions a try and if you have any of your own secret remedies, please contact me and share your pearls of wisdom!