Confession… I like to people watch. It doesn’t come from any weird voyeuristic place; I am just genuinely interested in people. Given that part of my job entails me watching my clients to ensure proper form, I’m guessing that sometimes I just can’t shut it off. Over the years, I have come to notice one thing we all seem to have in common. We slouch. A lot. Blame it on the abundance of tech in our culture, blame it on the overall lack of physical activity, blame it on uncomfortable chairs.
I had a physiology professor describe fairly plainly that the human body, and especially our spinal column, will eventually conform to repeated inputs. Think of it like this… Ever stick your tongue out and have your mom tell you your face would freeze that way if you kept doing that? That actually happens. With your spine. This can result in a host of issues, including musculoskeletal problems and nerve damage. Not to mention, loss of height. So, the following are what I call the Straight Up Cues, gentle reminders to stand or sit up straight.
First, find your base. If you are sitting, that would be your tushie; if you’re standing, your feet. Whatever your base is, you want to be even and balanced. That means that both feet (or butt cheeks) are taking approximately the same amount of your body weight and the weight goes through your heels to the floor.
Second, imagine that a string is tied to the base of your spine at the level of your hips. Picture that string running up your body along your spinal column. As it exits the crown of your head, pretend it pulls very slightly upwards.
Third, let your shoulder blades melt down your back and your chin drop ever so slightly. Place one hand on your navel and check that your abdomen is pressing backwards and not ballooning out.
Congratulations, you have just found the tall and lifted posture we in the wellness world refer to as “neutral spine.” It probably feels a tad uncomfortable thanks to all that slouching. Make it a point to check in with your spine in this way several times a day. Even better, if you can find several minutes (like, 5) to routinely practice these cues, the discomfort will start to disappear.
The Straight Up Cues above are for stationary posture. Once you start moving, you’ll want to maintain that neutral spine. The easiest way to do so, is to shift the imagery. Instead of a string, imagine that there is a giant hook behind your belly button. Then pretend that the hook is constantly trying to pull your belly button back towards your spine.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I feel the need to listen to some old school Paula Abdul….
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