Have you ever felt that you make things harder than they need to be?
Posture is something that many of us have made harder than it needs to be. Most of us definitely use more effort than needed. I say we because we ourselves have done this. We followed the well-intended folks who have said you need to pull your shoulders down and back, squeeze your glutes, and hold in your abdominals to stand up straight. From parents to teachers to fitness professionals and more we have listened to them all.
To do all the things above for posture, simply sitting or standing requires a lot and I mean a lot of effort, and at the same time changes the natural alignment of your joints and spine.
Here is a quick summary to change the posture cues from requiring a lot of muscular effort to being less effort-filled.
For the shoulders, your neck will love this lighter cue.
For the upper back and chest, if you struggle with discomfort in the upper back or between the shoulder blades, this is a must:
Your glutes are meant to be round, not flat muscles. If you struggle with tightness in the front of your hips, letting the glutes relax will also help take the pressure off the front of the hips.
This one may be tough because it is related to aesthetics for many of us. However, pulling the abdominals in puts pressure on your low back and hips, changing the natural position of the spine and hip joints.
And if we take any of these often-used posture cues they have a negative effect on one very important and basic thing we need to do to stay alive and that is, to breathe.
Weigh the pros and cons for yourself. Changing any one of these is not easy. They likely have become a habit. However, the number of benefits that can be reaped with small changes can be priceless to how your body feels, moves, and breathes.
Not sure where to start? Need help getting started? Reach out today and let's make your posture less effort and get you feeling better in your body.
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