LENGTHEN
When people spend most of their lives sitting, over time their physical bent over posture starts to feel normal.
Better posture means better alignment of your body, with head, torso and pelvis stacked in a line over your feet.
Weaker posture is when you're bent forward through the upper back and your head has a forward position where the ears are not in line with the shoulders.
LET'S TAKE IT TO THE FLOOR TO EVALUATE:
Floor Posture Test
Lie flat on a carpeted floor and then notice:
With your head touching the floor, do you need a pillow to get your head level with your body (ie. ears in line with the shoulders)? If so, your head is probably jutting forward when you’re standing or sitting. This is also known as forward head posture (FHP).
Posture Stretch to Lengthen shortened neck muscles
Firstly, well done...Being aware is the first step to fighting back and improving your posture.
Lie flat on the floor.
Put a book under your head to make your head level so it is aligned with your torso. Open the book and turn pages so it’s only as thick as necessary to level your head, without any strain.
Now gently press your head into the book and take 5 slow, deep breaths.
If you feel any strain, roll up a small towel and place under your neck for support.
Next time you take a Posture Break to lengthen, turn a page or two to make the book support a bit thinner. See how close you can get to aligning your head, torso and pelvis for a stronger posture.
Here is another great tip if you do find that your head is in a forward position and if your neck feels stiff and and tight:
Roll up a small towel and place under your neck while lying flat on your back (pillow behind your knees if your lower back hurts in this position). Try get the towel at just the right thickness that the back of your head and your upper back are still on the floor, but you feel that the neck is being stretched over the towel. The longer you can lay in this position the better, so if you can sleep on your back then lose all your pillows (best to place your pillow behind your knees) and try this awesome stretch for your neck.
86 8th Avenue, Northcliff, South Africa
0828811635
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Source: https://posturemonth.org/stretch-lengthen/
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