60 seconds to better posture.
It’s easy to get lost in work and become absorbed by the screen, abandon awareness of the body for the embodiment of technology. We can sit blissfully hunched over the device for a long time before the muscle strain and fatigue signals gain strength finally pulling our attention away from the task at hand and back to the body.
It doesn’t matter how “good” our posture is or how much we exercise. Prolonged static postures, like sitting, are often the cause of those bothersome daily aches and pains that can become chronic discomfort.
Instead of beating ourselves up or promising to spend more time training our postural muscles to tolerate the demand of seated work posture we can, instead, insert movement more frequently into each hour of the day — a movement snack for the body.
There isn’t always time or space to get up and move around so here’s an old gem called Brugger’s Relief Position:
Sit on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Feel your weight on your sitting bones.
Hold your head up high, as if a string was lifting you up. Be careful not to poke your chin forwards.
Spread your legs slightly apart and turn your feet outwards.
Rest your weight on your legs and feet, and relax your abdominal muscles.
Tilt your pelvis forward and lift your chest. This will increase the curve in your low back.
With your arms at your sides, turn your palms up and twist your arms outwards.
Take 10 slow, deep breaths in the position.
Relax and continue what you were doing.
Repeat every 30 to 45 minutes or so.
Remember, “The best posture in the next posture,” so move it!
Stand.
Pace.
Jump.
Rock.
Bounce.
…It’s all good and welcome.
A massage session may help with your posture. If you are in the Toronto East end, visit us at the Wellness Clinic and book yourself a session!
