3 Ways to Fix Your Posture, Boost Your Health
If you caught Tuesday’s article, then you know that posture can affect your mental and physical wellbeing. Good posture can:
- Improve self-confidence
- Improve circulation
- Improve digestion
- Improve breathing
- Improve alertness
- Improve positivity
- Improve flexibility and range of motion
- Decrease risk of injury
- Decrease improper muscle and joint strain
- Decrease fatigue
And more.
Poor posture, obviously, does the opposite. So how can you fix your posture to boost your wellbeing? Here are my three favorite quick moves.
- Become a marionette. Imagine you’re a puppet with strings (yes, cue the opening scene of Pinocchio). Imagine the strings are just behind the tips of your ear lobes, straightening the neck, helping the top of your head reach for the ceiling. Feel the elongation? Great! Be sure to keep your eyes forward. Try to maintain this length.
- Pinch your shoulder blades together. Whenever you feel yourself slouching or hunching forward (say when on your phone, tablet, or computer), reverse that position by pinching your shoulder blades together and opening up your chest. The more you practice this move, the more likely you are to maintain this open posture throughout the day.
- Foam Roll. Use a foam roller to help break up any fascial muscle adhesions (the “knots” you feel). This will improve circulation and help you counter some of effects of poor posture. I posted a full-body foam rolling session you can use as a guide. (Consult your doc or PT first if you have a chronic condition or are pregnant.)