A to Z Challenge: P is for Posture

A to Z Challenge:  P is for Posture

Improve your Posture

Posture says a lot about us.  It tells those we are with if we care to listen or not, if we put others first or ourselves, if we respect or disrespect, if we are confident or insecure, if we are lazy or disciplined, and so much more.  Posture not only points to what may be inside of us, it AFFECTS us and what’s inside.  

If we sit or walk upright and erect, shoulders back, we tend to be more alert, more confident, more cheerful.  Attitude affects posture and posture affects attitude.  You can lift yourself up by consciously working on improving your posture.

My friend recently described a meeting she had with a truculent subordinate.  Her fellow employee sat slumped across from her, one arm sprawled across the back of the chair, and his eye poised to roll with disapproval at the questions and suggestions of his supervisor.   She knew that he didn’t like that he was working for her.  He thought he should have a different position in the organization, but restructuring had placed him here, and he was going to be sure she knew he didn’t like it.  His attitude came through in his posture, and it wasn’t helpful to himself or his employer.

Posture is instrumental in our personal interactions harming or helping our relationships and our personal well-being.  However, the physiological effects not only have social and emotional ramifications, bad posture can lead to back pain, digestive trouble, and breathing problems among other issues.  Put positively, strengthen your back, improve your digestion, breath more fully  and live a better life simply by maintaining good posture.  

So what can you do to improve your posture?

1.  First know what good posture is.  Head erect, chin parallel to floor, shoulders back, chest out, stomach in, hips even, knees forward.

2.   Stretch and strengthen your back and your pectoral muscles.                  

           A.  The doorway stretch is great for stretching your 

                 pectoral muscles.  Place your forearm on the doorway

                 and push as you do a lunge with the same leg; hold for

                 30 to 90 seconds.  Rest.  Reach higher on the door-post

                 and lunge again.  Rest.  Reach lower on the 

                door-post and lunge again.  Repeat on the other side.  

            B.  One way to stretch your back is to tuck your buttocks

                  under your hips and reach forward with your arms

                  forming a ‘C’.  Hold for 30 seconds.  Reach arms up

                  Slowly and outstretch to side, pulling buttocks to the

                  back with your arms.  Repeat at least 3 times.  

3.  Pay attention.  Notice when you are standing, sitting, or walking if your posture is slumping and change it.  Ask others to keep you accountable until it becomes natural to maintain good posture.

4.  If you are working at a desk or at a computer, get up every half and hour and stretch.  

5.  Meditation enhances posture.

6.  Train your children early.  The importance of posture to our health, physical, emotional, psychosocial, and intellectual has been deemphasized.  Returning it to its rightful place in child training will benefit everyone.

Now if we can have such a positive effect on ourselves with a simple adjustment, why not give the proper attention to our posture?  

A to Z Challenge