Posture Fix 101
First off, Elizabeth and Stylebook readers, you are not alone. We all suffer from “postural dysfunction” due to our daily habits such as excessive sitting, texting, typing reading, etc., etc. And, of course, there is likely a better way to hold our bodies when we do all of these things, but we just don’t think about it all the time. Understandable.
Elizabeth, you are so beautiful. You are tall, you have a radiant smile, and an infectious laugh. You light up a room. But we all have our insecurities; thank you for sharing yours with us.
A common postural dysfunction is a forward head with rounded shoulders. Elizabeth, you have that.
When I work with clients on their posture goals, I first start with stretching the tight muscles that are pulling us into a faulty position. For example, Elizabeth has spent most of her life trying not to be so tall or trying to hide her chest (her post made me weep). As a result, her pec muscles are tight. Before we start strengthening the correct postural muscles, we need to stretch out the culprits that keep forcing you into that position. Also, it’s difficult to hold “proper” posture if we are constantly pulling against the resistance of tight muscles.
Try these two, easy exercises that, when performed daily, can automatically improve your posture and reduce neck pain:
Cat-Cow Yoga Pose
Door Stretch
Now that we have loosened up the muscles that help cause this faulty posture, it’s time to recruit, educate, and strengthen the postural muscles that are weak and inactive. Educate you say? Yep! Contrary to what we commonly hear and see at the gym, it’s not just about strengthening muscles…we also have to educate them. In PT terms, that’s neuro-re-education, meaning restoring muscles to their normal function. And that function is pulling your shoulders back and into the correct position without fatiguing quickly throughout the day.
Ready to re-educate?
- About the studio
Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga was founded in 2008 by Megan Brown, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Polestar Certified Practitioner of Pilates for Rehabilitation and Sara VanderGoot, Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher (e-RYT 200, RYT 500). In their private practices as physical therapist and massage therapist respectively Megan and Sara observed that many of their clients were coming in with similar needs: relief for neck and shoulder tension and low back pain as well as a desire for more flexibility in hips and legs, stability in joints, and core strength.
Together Megan and Sara carefully crafted a curriculum of Pilates and yoga classes to address needs for clients who are pregnant, postpartum, have injuries or limitations, who are new to Pilates and yoga, and for those who are advanced students and are looking for an extra challenge.
2214 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
703.683.2228
