Posture and what we can do to improve it?
Posture is the way we stand, sit, walk and kneel. Basically, it is controlled by the structure of our body and can be affected by genetics and our emotions. Poor posture can have an effect on much of the body and can put us at risk of injury.
A good exercise to improve your posture and to prevent some of the pain that it can cause is to stand with your feet parallel and hip width apart whilst ensuring that your weight is evenly balanced throughout the base of your foot (imagine that there is a triangle on the base of each foot, one point in the pad below your big toe, one point in the pad below your little toe and one in your heel – ensure the weight is evenly distributed throughout this triangle). Then ensure that your muscles are engaged in your legs not too tight but comfortably tense. Stand tall with your head held high (imagine there is a fine cord stretching from the crown of your head to the ceiling). Roll your shoulders up and back and gently push your hands and arms down parallel with your sides. Now you are standing tall and straight. Take a deep breath in through your nose and whilst slowly exhaling through your mouth, pull the muscles in the pelvic region up and in. This in turn will pull your tummy muscles in and help to strengthen what are called your ‘core’ muscles. Hold this position for a few seconds, then repeat.
This exercise should be done regularly and with practice it can be done whilst queuing for a bus, at work, cooking or doing the washing up. Strong core muscles will improve your posture and in turn that will strengthen and support your spine. Another added benefit of strong core muscles is that they hold your tummy in and will help to make you looking slimmer!
This exercise is part of a Pilates regime. Pilates is an excellent way to improve your posture and to keep fit and well.