What Is Good Posture And How Do I Achieve It? Part 1

Good posture. It's the back bone of looking good, feeling great and staying functional.

You're probably aware of the importance of posture. Yet women over 50 often fall short when it comes to having a healthy posture. And forced attempts to correct posture, especially at this stage in life, can sometimes do more harm than good.

(Picture Sara Meeks Seminars Copyright 2001 Re-printed with permission).

The figure on the far left is standing in neutral or good posture. In this position, your body is in balance and...

• You have less wear and tear on your joints.
• The forces of gravity are traveling through your bones correctly.This helps keep your bones strong and prevents back pain.

Most of us attempt to stand at attention when trying to correct our posture. Try this exercise...

• Walk around the room without doing anything to try and improve your posture. Notice how much effort it takes you to move. Feel it within your body.
• Now stand at attention. Maintain this posture as you once again walk around the room. Notice how it feels.

Did walking around the room in an attention posture feel more natural? Did it take less energy? Was it easier to move that way? Good posture allows you to move with less effort. Trying to maintain an attention posture is not the way to correct bad posture.

Is Straight Posture Good Posture?

You will stand taller as your posture improves. But straight posture is a bit of a misnomer. A properly aligned spine has 3 natural curves...

• The neck curves inward toward the front of the body (cervical curve).
• The upper back curves outward (thoracic curve).
• The lower back curves inward (lumbar curve).

A completely straight back when standing or sitting is NOT good posture. Correct posture maintains your spine's natural curves.

Tips For Good Standing Posture

If your standing posture is less than optimum try these tips...

• Start at your feet. Have them 2 to 4 inches apart, toes pointing straight ahead. Press into your feet. Feel what happens in the rest of your body when you do this.
• Visualize Pretend you're 2 inches taller than you are. Don't force anything - just see and feel yourself taller. Visualizations take practice, but they help your posture improve instantly.
• Become Aware Take a moment and feel how you are standing. Is your weight equally distributed on both feet? If the answer is no, you're not standing in neutral posture. Schedule regular times to try this. Standing in line at the grocery store or when you brush your teeth - make it a habit.
• Tune In to how you body feels, noticing any areas of abnormal tension. Can you relax those areas? Choose one or two times during you day that you normally stand and practice relaxing any areas that feel tense.

Source: http://www.fit-after-50-womens-health-magazine.com/