Our bodies are not made out of elastic. We don't just snap
back after giving birth. Our bodies also tend to follow the
rules of gravity, a couple of years past the age of twenty.
Most of us are working full days, whether it's in an office
setting or caring for the little ones at home. By the time
evening comes around, we feel bushed and ready to hit the
sack. The next morning we're back to work.
Of course we all love spending every minute with our little
`peanuts' and we can't get enough of staring into a flashing,
speechless thing. However, at the end of the day, when it's
only you and your body, don't you ever feel tired, too tired
to think, too tired to even clean up and waaaay too tired for
some exercise. What ends up happening is that, by the time we
hit forty and even before, most of us look [and feel] like
we're long over the hill.
We start to shlep our feet. The backache just won't go away.
Our shoulders are rounded and hunched. We have a hard time
picking up the toys that are strewn over the floor, never
mind bending over to kiss our little one on his forehead.
When we lie down at night, we're wondering how we came to
occupy this weird body that doesn't want to do what we
command it to do. What happened?
As an exercise instructor, I have noticed that there are two
very important things a woman and girl needs. The first thing
is posture. Many women and girls do not have any idea how to
stand straight, therefore, we don't bend, push, and walk
correctly. And the second thing is flexibility. Once a woman
becomes more flexible, exercise [and housework] comes a lot
easier to her.
POSTURE
Have you ever seen a ballet dancer with a hunch? You see
plumbers with poor postures and housewives with poor postures
and doctors and students and . . . practically in every
profession there are people with rounded or overarched backs.
Are dancers born with naturally great backs and posture? They
really are not. Their secret lies in a very simple method.
They are taught how to keep their postures in tip-top shape.
They dare not slouch . . . We, on the other hand, are told:
Stand straight! Don't slouch! Walk like a mensch! However,
can any of you say that you were taught exactly how to keep
your posture upright? Has anybody ever showed you what body
parts need to be tucked in or out? If you're like most people
in the world, the answer is probably no. So ready, steady,
we're about to learn.
Beside looking healthy and well-looked after when your
posture is upright and tight, there is an abundance of
reasons why great posture is good for your health. I'll list
a couple:
* There's more space in your chest for your lungs to expand.
Therefore when you breathe, more air enters your lungs. This
results in more oxygen to your body. More oxygen means better
circulation.
* When your posture is correct and tight, your middle will be
in the right position. When your stomach [abdominals] and
your lower back are in the right places and not jutting out
in either direction, your back will become stronger and there
will be a lot less pain [we will discuss this in greater
detail later].
* Many of us women tend to stand in our hips. This sounds
funny, but very true. We sort of keep ourselves erect, not
across the shoulders and back, but by keeping our weight in
our hips. Since our weight is not proportioned correctly,
walking becomes more difficult. The spine is not supported
properly, either, so the back rounds and the shoulders reach
down to touch our chest.
* If there is any reason why you should stand straight and
you're a lady, this reason is the one that will probably talk
to you the most. By keeping everything tight and straight,
you will be working your muscles all day, whether you are
sitting by the computer, or playing monopoly with the kids or
cooking etc. Stronger muscles mean that more calories are
being burned . Which translates into minus, the next time you
weigh in at the scale.
* One final reason that I'd like to mention is that without
proper posture, by the time you're seventy, you'll be looking
at the pavement and pretty flowers instead of the sky, the
birds and the people who are greeting you.
Now that we get an idea how good posture is for us, let's
examine the correct way to keep ourselves erect.
The most important thing in posture, before you even throw
your shoulders back, is stretching. Pretend that there is a
string attached from the ceiling to the top of your head and
it's slowly pulling you up. Reach up until you feel a slight
stretch in your stomach area, but NEVER any pain.
The ABC of correct posture is SCS = shoulders, chest,
stomach
Shoulders back
Chest out
Stomach in
Stand with your back to a wall and we'll go through each
step.
1. Try to make your shoulders touch the wall. You should go
only so far as you feel no pain. Both shoulders should be
inching to the wall, not one more than the other. We're
working on proper and balanced posture.
2. When you throw your shoulders back, your chest
automatically thrusts forward. Put the lid on it. You don't
want to be strutting around like a proud peacock.
3. A common comment when I tell my clients to pull their
stomach in is: But I can't breathe!
You're not supposed to suck your stomach in: you have to tuck
it into your back. How? When your back is against the wall,
your shoulders are back, chest is a bit forward and your
natural reaction is to jut the stomach out and arch your
back. Be careful not to do that.
Imagine a rope around your waist that's attached to the wall
behind you. The rope is slowly, slowly pulling you toward the
wall. Go as far back until you feel that your shoulders are
pulling away from the wall. Then, stop. Hold the position
tight. Now stretch once again toward the ceiling, trying to
keep your shoulders back, chest out and stomach toward the
wall.
Feel the stretch. Feel it some more. Now relax. Try it again.
And again, until you start to feel comfortable in this
position.
Mazel Tov! You've finally learnt Correct Posture.
