News & Events

Posture Training
By: Val Kirk, Personal Trainer

Posture Training: Involves standing tall with good alignment where the ear, shoulder, elbow, hip bone, knee and ankle line up.  Check each day by reminding yourself of the following:

• Balance weight evenly on both feet
• Gently draw belly in
• Keep looking straight ahead
• Gently tuck chin in
• Lift your breast bone up slightly
• When sitting, sit as tall as possible and if you need a pillow for your lower back, use it.

Exercises to Improve Posture

• A simple pose from Yoga called “Shavasana” works wonders. Lie on your back on a firm mattress or floor with arms turned, palms up and legs straight or with bent knees, and with your head resting on a pillow, towel or bolster (you may also put a pillow underneath the knees, if you wish). Concentrate on your breath and imagine your collar bones as wings, spread your collar bones slightly but without pulling your shoulder blades back, and down.
• Perch Posture – Begin with sitting in a chair with legs on either side of one corner of the seat. You may have to take the legs apart approximately 90 – 120 degrees to find a good position for you. Then find the bony parts in your butt (tuberosities) and balance and keep both feet flat on the floor.
• Triangle of the Feet Begin with sitting in a chair with legs hip distance apart, feet flat on floor with feet flat on floor. Feel both the metatarsal of the big toe along with all the other metatarsal of the foot and feel the heel on the floor , then push down on your foot while sitting and notice how your posture changes!

Posture training should be done every day; and alignment of the body is more important than intensity. This should be done for at least 5 – 10 minutes per day along with being aware of doing this every minute of every day.