Here's a topic I bet everyone's heard speeches on plenty of times: "Stand up straight!" "Shoulders back!" "Chin up!" Etcetera. I know I've heard all of this, from various sources including my parents; my elementary school health class teacher; chiropractirs; even a massage therapist. Not only that, I've repeated the message to my girls, now both grown.
One of those girls is a brand new certified yoga instructor, and as part of her training got quite a bit of anatomy. And, the topic of posture was apparently stressed.
She's been very eager to test out her training on her parents, of course. So, ironically, this kid who I've harped on off and on for 24 years (ok, not 24, there's the infant and toddler stages...) about her posture is suddenly now evaluating her Dad.....
I try to be aware of my posture, amd find that I'm constantly correcting myself: shoulders back, stand up straight, chest forward, etc. Well, she looks at me and says, "Oh, man, you've got 'girl butt' bad!" I'm thinking, "WTF, Kid, 'girl butt'???" But she's right: my lower back arches forward and my ass sticks out. Also, my lower back is tight and my hip flexors are almost always tight and either hurt a little or almost hurt. Especially following a squat or deadlift session, or after I play hockey.
Anyway, ahe explains that one should "engage the core" (tighten your abs) and roll the pelvis "up" in front and down in back. Doing this immediately places the hips directly beneath the shoulders; the shoulders automatically go back; if one is conscious of keeping one's head cemtered over the shoulders, everything is lined up exactly as it should be.
The result? My lower back doesn't hurt AT ALL; my hip flexors don't either; and my neck feels better because my head is centered over my shoulders.
I don't know why it was never explained to me in such simple terms, but it never has been. And it's easy to maintain. No constant correcting myself. Just keep my core engaged whenever I'm on my feet (or even when I have to sit at my desk), and I have good posture and none of the nagging pains that I've come to live with over the years!
My wife, too, has been focusing on this and remarked that it's "actually doable", as opposed to trying to "keep her shoulders back" which she, too, has heard all her lofe and never been able to accomplosh consistently.
I am starting to think that everyone knows what "good posture" is supposed to look like, but no one knows how to actually accomplish it! And it's SO SIMPLE!
Try it out!
One of those girls is a brand new certified yoga instructor, and as part of her training got quite a bit of anatomy. And, the topic of posture was apparently stressed.
She's been very eager to test out her training on her parents, of course. So, ironically, this kid who I've harped on off and on for 24 years (ok, not 24, there's the infant and toddler stages...) about her posture is suddenly now evaluating her Dad.....
I try to be aware of my posture, amd find that I'm constantly correcting myself: shoulders back, stand up straight, chest forward, etc. Well, she looks at me and says, "Oh, man, you've got 'girl butt' bad!" I'm thinking, "WTF, Kid, 'girl butt'???" But she's right: my lower back arches forward and my ass sticks out. Also, my lower back is tight and my hip flexors are almost always tight and either hurt a little or almost hurt. Especially following a squat or deadlift session, or after I play hockey.
Anyway, ahe explains that one should "engage the core" (tighten your abs) and roll the pelvis "up" in front and down in back. Doing this immediately places the hips directly beneath the shoulders; the shoulders automatically go back; if one is conscious of keeping one's head cemtered over the shoulders, everything is lined up exactly as it should be.
The result? My lower back doesn't hurt AT ALL; my hip flexors don't either; and my neck feels better because my head is centered over my shoulders.
I don't know why it was never explained to me in such simple terms, but it never has been. And it's easy to maintain. No constant correcting myself. Just keep my core engaged whenever I'm on my feet (or even when I have to sit at my desk), and I have good posture and none of the nagging pains that I've come to live with over the years!
My wife, too, has been focusing on this and remarked that it's "actually doable", as opposed to trying to "keep her shoulders back" which she, too, has heard all her lofe and never been able to accomplosh consistently.
I am starting to think that everyone knows what "good posture" is supposed to look like, but no one knows how to actually accomplish it! And it's SO SIMPLE!
Try it out!
