“Standing Up Straight” = Good Posture Or ?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on July 29th, 2010
Good morning.
I have a doctor friend whom I’ve know for years and I highly trust. Whenever I have a health problem I try to consult him. However he travels quite a bit so it is a hit or miss if I have an issue and need to get ahold of him immediately.
Somehow thought, he always seems to be around when I am in need. Like the time I decided to Neti Pot my sinuses and added a bit of grapefruit seed extract to the NetiXlear solution that I was using. Oooh that was a big no-no and I should’ve known: Never mix solutions. My sinuses went into overdrive and instead of opening up, all of them completely shut down and I couldn’t breathe through ether nostril. It may not sound like much but it was one of the scariest moments. Unless you have had your sinuses completely shut down, you can not imagine what it is like to rely on your breathing solely from your mouth. It is a very strange disconcerting sensation.
I called up my doctor and luckily he was available. He waited on the phone with me while I had Doug go to the pharmacy and pick up a few decongestant products that he suggested: Sinex, and a medicated chest rub. Thankfully, I also had the recommended Eucalyptus oil on hand. It was suggested to me by him, that when using products, to always use only one product at a time, and the first being the least invasive, and in the smallest increments possible. I always try to remember this because I am a person who moves pretty quickly and can have very little patience, especially when I am in a slight panic stage, like I was during this time.
So as he sat on the phone with me we tried to open only one of my nostrils at a time. I started by passing the Eucalyptus oil under my right nostril and inhaling only a few times. Then we waited for few minutes to see if it did anything. Nothing. I inhaled a few more times again under the same nostril and this time I felt a slight opening.
To make a long story short, after a few hours on the phone with him, I finally could breathe out of one nostril and slightly on the other. And when I went to bed, and woke up the next morning, I was breathing perfectly fine, thanks to my dear doctor friend, his expertise and patience.
So why am I telling you all of this? I know this was quite the lead into my write this morning. Well…this person happens to be one of my “sources” for some of the articles that I post to my blog. Lucky me, that he sends me articles of interest every once in awhile of topics that I mind find interesting or helpful in the medical field. And of course I like to pass them along to you and share the knowledge.
But as in all health and medical advice given here, please refer to my disclaimer in the right hand column, and do your own research. As I always say, “No one is going to care more about your health than you.” So…that being said, here’s a recent read from my “source”. :)
FEEL-GREAT POSTURE
My friend Peter seems to be collapsing inward as he ages — with every year, his ribs inch closer and closer to his pelvic bones. He believes that he is taking weight off his arthritic hips when he stands this way — but in fact, what he ends up doing is bringing the bones closer together… and “bone on bone” are the exact words used to describe the agonizing pain of arthritis.
I’m telling you about Peter because he provides an excellent illustration of how standing the wrong way can worsen such conditions as osteoporosis, arthritis, lower back pain and neck and shoulder pain. Conversely, when you hold your body correctly it extends your spine — not only does this do wonders for back pain, it also gives ample support and space to the internal organs and nerves and enhances circulation. Just reading those words feels good, doesn’t it?
CORRECTING “CORRECTIONS”
Though our moms used to “correct” our posture when we were growing up, it turns out that many of the rules we learned were wrong. We knew naturally how to hold our bodies as young children, when we learned how to sit and then stand and walk. Kathleen Porter, author of Ageless Spine, Lasting Health, works to undo much of what we’ve learned about posture at her Center for Natural Alignment in Portland, Oregon. She told me that her techniques are based on her observations and studies of people in other cultures, whose lifestyle has enabled them to continue to move in this very natural way. In particular, Porter told me she had been impressed and influenced by witnessing the ease with which small, slightly built women could carry heavy loads upon their heads.
Instead of standing straight, with our chests high and stomach and butts held in, Porter suggested picturing a plumb line that falls from your shoulder and ends at your ankle. “If the line runs straight through your shoulder, hip, knee and ankle, your alignment is correct,” Porter said, noting that the position is not stiff or rigid, but rather is “the relaxed alignment that toddlers and young children find naturally.”
THREE RULES TO UNLEARN
Porter identified three common postural rules she believes we should all work to unlearn. She said that correcting these particular behaviors will go far toward making many of us feel a whole lot better.
Posture myth #1: Tuck your butt. A common instruction when standing up straight is to “tuck your butt” (or your tailbone) under.
Problems it causes: Remember my friend Peter who is caving in as he ages? By tucking his butt, Peter misses having the foundational support of a fully extended spine. “Tucking your butt takes your leg bones out from under you,” explains Porter. Your legs should be like vertical posts to properly support your weight. Otherwise, the muscles in your back, shoulders and/or neck must work harder.
Posture myth #2: Hold your chest high. Many people think the proper stance is to squeeze back the shoulder blades, angling the breast bone (sternum) slightly up and toward the sky. It’s the way that soldiers and athletes typically stand — and don’t they look like great role models for good posture?
How this hurts: Porter points out that lifting the chest displaces the rib cage, tightens neck muscles, compresses the spine and works many muscles — when the goal is to keep them tension-free. “You’ll often hear people say that they love to stretch, but that’s really an indication of stored-up tension caused by unnatural posture,” said Porter. “A body in correct alignment has no tight muscles that need relief!”
Posture myth #3: Suck in your belly. Give it a try — hold those stomach muscles tight. Are you breathing? Are you more relaxed?
Why it’s wrong: Tensing the belly tightens the diaphragm, putting pressure on the lungs and making it harder to breathe fully — plus it triggers the motion of tilting and tucking the pelvis toward the back, flattening your bottom. This tilted pelvis shifts the pelvic floor muscles out of place, making it harder for them to support the organs in the lower abdomen and putting excessive tension in the lower back. Also, a tight belly interferes with the work of certain muscle groups — the oblique and transversus abdominis. These are the deepest abdominal muscles — they wrap around the torso, running from the ribs to the pelvis, and are crucial to proper alignment and supporting the core of the body, Porter explained.
The right way to stand: Start by looking down at your feet, with your shoulders back (keeping the plumb line in mind). Hold your sternum perpendicular to the floor and lift your ribs by pulling up from the lower ribs in the back. It does sound strange, so Porter offered a mental image that can help…
Picture yourself as a marionette with strings attached to the back of your lower ribs and just inside the back of each of your armpits. Now imagine the strings being gently drawn up behind you. Roll each shoulder in a circular motion forward, around, up and back — letting the shoulder come to rest right on top of the rib cage. Lift your face just enough to see comfortably in front of you as you imagine that a string at the base of your skull pulls just a bit of length into the back of your neck. Relax your belly muscles as well. Take a minute and breathe… nice, isn’t it?
Collapsed posture Overcorrected posture Aligned Posture
NO QUICK FIX
Porter points out that returning to proper alignment is not a quick fix, and it almost always feels awkward at first. As many times a day as you can remember, she suggests, visualize yourself as a skeleton. This will help you focus on what is happening with your bones, muscles and joints as well as on the corrections you need to make.
This is just one of the numerous methods and programs that help people learn to achieve proper alignment — you may recall that one I particularly like is Jeff Zimmerman’s Optimotion (see Daily Health News, August 7, 2008, “Optimotion Improves Golf Game, Reduces Odds of Injury”), which will help you learn and practice proper alignment. I’m sending that story and this one, too, to my friend Peter, and I hope he’s open to making these changes. I know I instantly feel better whenever I have a few seconds to remind myself to stand in a relaxed and natural way.
Source(s):
Kathleen Porter, author of Ageless Spine, Lasting Health (Synergy Books) and director of the center for Natural Alignment, Portland, Oregon. http://naturalalignment.com.
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Disclaimer: No I am not getting any kickbacks or kudos from Neti Pot or NetiXlear.
Ruth: I didn’t see your comment yesterday. I think I was posting my write about the same time you were blogging your comment. I also realized that my “comments” were on off and needed to be turned on.
Anyway, thank you for your comments. You are so keyed in, and your assessment right on. However I noticed that for the first time, you have mentioned the eradication of evil men, and you expressed yourself quite frankly. Perhaps you have been enlightened to the atrocities that your girls have gone through and you have witnessed first hand the levels of evil that men are capable of. Enlightenment of this sort can be quite distressing for one to hear. I HOPE that you are taking some time to care for yourself. Sending love your way.
Ezzati: I can feel your anger in your rant, and rightly justified.
Zen Lill: RHIR. It is easy to say that if you were in my position and you had the power to make it happen, you would. I know you really didn’t mean to say it so matter-of-factly. If you were in my position and had the power, you would take all into consideration; what is best for the planet, and future generations. It is not an easy decision for one to make. Taking out all males over 10 is one decision, but not the only one. And I know you know this. And as Ruth pointed out, “There are many good white men. We have the ability to differentiate. I will just add, taking it out of the context that Ruth was referring to: “And there are many good otw men too”.
Evelyn: Yes they do, Thank for posting. I HOPE that you and Harris are enjoying yourselves immensely! Not to presume anything but…Oh, how cool…love may have been found via my blog. :)
Doug: And where was I during that 15 minute light show? :)
Peter: Your comments at the end of your post say it all.
Robert: Thanks for the info -I’m behind it. I’d like to read more about how I can participate.
Cindi: Thanks for enlightening me on this subject.
Helena: Thanks for your post too. I drink tea all of the time, so that is a plus. And once again Vitamin D seems to be the miracle supplement these days.
That’s it for today. Blog me.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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July 29th, 2010 at 10:37 am
I sent yesterday’s article to my male friend. He is a very astute individual. His comment was.
“men feel they subjugate all it has no color line… really speaks to the insecurity of men and there inability to express there emotions in a positive fashion in this case FEAR is the driver of such atrocious behavior”
July 29th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Michelle,
You would need to check your schedule for that day and time as to where you were…
July 29th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Ok forgot the usual disclaimer of ‘except for the good men’ sorry…I think I’ll stop commenting unless o have time to include all the disclaimers I am adding are self evident based in a few years of commenting – thats my new disclaimer – no comments unless I have time to throw in all my personal caveats. clearly, at least to me, I would never take out all males over ten without lots of forethought and plenty of scrutiny to save the good makes (ie males raised by aware women and their equally aware counterparts), that all being said…
Love the article re posture, roll those shoulders back, squeeze your 1K bill but no under tucking of that tush. I’ll comment more when I have time. Right now I have my new love in my arms, my friends 2 month old boy : ) I’m auntie ZL for the day!!!
Luv, Zen Lill
July 29th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
And I thought I was happy being 28. Boy would I love to be 2 months hugging those tits.
July 29th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
FACE DOWN YOUR WORST ENEMY
“Negative Nancy” is a slangy term to describe a person who sees life as a bleak, arduous and joyless trek… and there’s “Debbie Downer,” too, which describes someone who takes pleasure in bursting other folks’ bubbles of happiness or hope.
These are people whose glasses are neither rose-colored nor half-full… and I think we can use these nicknames as lighthearted reminders that we actually have a choice about how we view the world!
Negativity and the idea that our outlook affects everything in our lives was the topic of my most recent conversation with Lauren Zander, life coach and regular Daily Health News contributor.
Lauren told me that again and again she meets people who are unaware of the negative chatter playing nonstop in their brains… most don’t realize that they have the ability to tune that voice to something much more pleasant.
In fact, Lauren told me that in her many years of helping people live their best lives, she has realized that “nothing is more important than getting these people to to pay attention to their negative inner voice.”
STREAMING NEGATIVITY
That’s a powerful statement, isn’t it? It’s the flip side of the power of positive thinking. While people understand and accept that a positive outlook can do wonders, many still allow negative thoughts to stream through their days, carrying messages like “that will never work out for me” or “I could never get a job like that.”
Whether you are telling yourself that you don’t have the fortitude to get your PhD… the personality to have a better social life… or the ability to save enough to retire in 10 years, you’re reminding yourself that you are low on the totem pole for getting life’s rewards.
If you’re thinking that this doesn’t apply to you, think again. We all have such gloomy voices chatting nonstop in our heads — including through the sleepless hours of the night.
Astonishingly, most people don’t even hear them, Lauren said. We think of the voice as just a “silent commentary we make as we go about the day,” she says, largely because our relationship with it is an unconscious one.
The inner voice takes up residence early in life and becomes a part of our personal history. We don’t realize how destructive it can be, in part because we don’t even know it’s there. We don’t question it — it just is.
DON’T TALK TO ME THAT WAY!
But would you allow someone else to speak to you that way? Your inner voice can be downright mean and nasty — saying things for which you’d chastise a child or maybe even a peer.
Yet we let our voices bring our spirits down with critical, demoralizing commentary as though it were factual — not something made up in our heads.
For instance, Lauren told me that when she asks people if they believe it’s “possible” to find love, they respond enthusiastically “of course!” But when she asks that person whether he/she will find love, the reaction is entirely different.
“They tell me they’re too old, don’t have time, aren’t attractive enough — and what they are really saying is that their voice has told them that love happens to others… but it will not happen to them.”
Here’s a surprise, though. The voice that sounds mean is actually trying to protect you. It’s safer to give in to fears that you won’t succeed than to put yourself on the line and go after something you want — whether it is a better relationship with your sibling or enough votes to win a local election.
The alternative — which is to face the fact that you actually might realize your dreams if you are willing to do what it takes to get there — can be scary.
And here’s an interesting insight: Lauren says that it’s safe to assume that the topics about which your voice is most negative are the ones where you feel most vulnerable, unhappy and powerless to change.
Possibly you despair about a low bank account. Are you telling yourself that there’s nothing you can do — that your expenses are what they are and that your salary is what it is, so you’re stuck?
That’s a sure sign that your voice is trying to convince you that you have no power in this matter. Really though, you can change almost everything in life — including getting more money!
The first step is to change the voice, says Lauren. When you give up being its victim, you become the master of yourself and of your life… but this won’t just happen. To become a positive force, your voice needs to be trained and you, of course, are the trainer.
TRAINING THE VOICE
Regular Daily Health News readers won’t be surprised that Lauren says the first thing you must do to retrain your negative thinking is to grab a pen and paper.
Find a quiet place to sit and dream up a description of your ideal scenario, how you’d like things to be in the part of life where you feel most dissatisfied. Be very specific.
If it’s your empty bank account, the scenario might go something like this: “When I pay my bills each week, I pay each one in full. I have savings equivalent to three months’ salary in the bank.
When I shop, I have a list and buy only what I need. I’ve budgeted X dollars to spend on things I want every month, and I don’t exceed that amount — ever. I feel in control of my finances.”
Now that you know what the life you want looks like, begin to listen carefully and make note of anything and everything you say to yourself that contradicts the possibility that you could create it as a reality.
When you hear yourself say, “I already owe so much on this credit card, why not spend $100 to upgrade my cell phone”… stop. Don’t buy the phone — the one you have works just fine. When you can do this, you are beginning to hear your inner voice — which is what will enable you to turn it off.
You’ll feel powerfully in control — and by consciously making a different choice, you will be a step closer to living the life you described.
Amazing things begin to happen when you realize that you have the power to take control of your inner voice and redirect it. When you have trained yourself to hear the earliest whines and grumbles of negativity, you can decide to be a new, more positive self.
You can cut the voice off and think about something else. “Instead of listening to the dire predictions and dark thoughts, think about someone you love, call a friend or go to the movies or go out to garden,” says Lauren.
“This is how you move your mind.” Ultimately you will be able to decide what thoughts you will allow in your mind about any area of your life — choose your words carefully and you will make your life better!
Source(s):
Lauren Zander, cofounder and chairman, The Handel Group, http://www.TheHandelGroup.com.