Pointers to a pain free posture
My clients often tell me they want to lose weight and tone up. But before I put them on the treadmill, I take a look at their posture. This is important as
misalignments and muscular imbalance can have a negative impact on joints when you do other exercises. And by correcting the posture, you can protect yourself from
lower back pain, as well aslook taller and slimmer.
Although no one posture is perfect, there are simple - and, dare I say, even relaxing - exercises andstretches to help strengthen and align.
So how do you know if your posture is good and how can you tell? Over the next three weeks I will explain the main things that can go wrong, starting with an excessive lumbar lordosis, more commonly known as an excessive low back curve, left.
When the pelvis tips forwards, it creates an excessive concave arch in the lower back. There should always be a natural curve in the lower back, but too much of an arch will create lower back pain caused by tight muscles and poor core strength. Other areas of the body such as the knees can also be problematic.
One way of finding out if you suffer from this is to put a belt around year hips, look in a mirror and see if the belt corms a level circle or whether it
tips forwards at the front and is higher at the back. If you do not have a level belt, you'r¬could possibly have an excessive curve in your lower back. This posture type is also very common with people who wear heels, as the muscles in the front of the legs become stronger than those in the back, pulling the pelvis down and forward.
To help alleviate the tightness in the lower back muscles, perform the `Happy Baby Pose', right. Simply lie on your back,
bring your knees towards your armpits and hold on to the soles of your feet (or shins if you can't reach). Hold this stretch for
30 seconds, breathing steadily, and do it every day to really feel the benefits. It really is quite enjoyable, too.
