Create a new image of yourself...

"When does something become a habit?" someone asked me recently in response to some posture coaching.

"Whenever you decide to make it one." I retorted.

Decide now that you CAN and WILL improve your posture. It's mind over matter really. Phrases like, "My posture is horrible" or "My back is so stiff" allow your mind to create a negative association with posture.

Re-wire your mind and attitude for success with phrases like, "I feel so great when I sit up." or "I feel taller when I assume an upright posture."

• Remind your brain
  
  Whenever you find yourself in one posture for an extended period of time, set a timer every 30-50 minutes. This timer is to remind you to draw your attention to your postural stance.
  
  Take 1 minute to scan your body:
  
  Am I clenching my teeth?
  Is my chin jutted out and my head tilted upwards?
  
  ...all the way down to...Is my pelvis upright and I am sitting on my sits bones?
  
  Remember that holding upright posture should NOT be difficult. If you are straining or your muscles are getting tired, re-evaluate what you are doing.
  
  Key Postural points:
  
  
  
  • Be as tall as you can be, allowing the space between your spinal vertebrae to be at their max.
  
  
  • Allow your collar bones to be wide across your chest and your shoulder blades to glide down your back.
  
  
  • Allow your breath to flow freely so that your ribs expand up and out as you inhale and down and inwards as you exhale (i.e. no jutting ribs!)
  
  
  • Sit up so you are on your sits bones and your pelvis (think of it as a bowl of soup) is upright and not tilted excessively forwards or backwards, creating a soft low back curve.
  
  


• Remind your body
  
  You start your hour seated up on your sit bones and eventually (within 10 minutes or so) you are rolled back on your tailbone.
  
  Solution: Place a rolled up towel behind your sit bones to serve as a reminder. Every time you sit back on your tailbone, you will feel the towel and be immediately reminded to sit up straight!



• Remind your muscles
  
  We have talked before about the overemphasis of flexion exercises that I observe daily in and out of the gym setting. So how do you fire up the backside of your body?
  
  Try these simple techniques while performing any arm exercises including push-ups, lateral raises, pull ups, squat-thrusts, etc.
  
  
  
  • If you are on a position where you are bearing weight through your hands as in push-ups, turn your hands out slightly to help your shoulder blades connect with your rib cage.
  
  
  • Stay wide through your collar bones and let your shoulder blades melt down the back side of your body.
  
  
  • Push or pull through the pinky side of your hand rather than the thumb side.
  
  Notice how you feel afterwards. Do you feel like you are standing up taller? Was the exercise easier to perform in this orientation?

What things do you use to remind yourself about your posture?? What do you want to change about your posture? What associations do you have with your own personal posture?