Archive for Posture Exercises
Mind Your Posture, Young Lady
Posted by: | Comments
Kaitlin
Kaitlin is a fourth year Human Kinetics student at the University of Ottawa who recently completed her internship at my clinic, Function to Fitness Physiotherapy.
She is applying for her Masters in Physiotherapy and plans to start that program once she completes her Kinesiology degree. Kaitlin is committed to her studies and because of her schedule is too busy to take proper care of herself.
The Pain of Daily Headaches
But this hard work and commitment came at a cost: Kaitlin suffered daily painful, debilitating headaches for several years and was unsure of their exact cause. Kaitlin thought that they were the result of dehydration, stress or poor diet. Maybe they were the result of too little sleep?
She frequently used over the counter painkillers such as Tylenol to deal with the problem.
A Headache Appears
Kaitlin and I were at a workshop in Montreal when her usual afternoon headache came on. I encouraged her to massage the areas around her head and neck. This helped but it only lessened her pain a small amount.
Mind Your Posture, Young Lady
Then I thought we should try something else.
During the time we worked together, I noticed that Kaitlin maintained a stooped forward posture. I challenged Kaitlin to sit up straight and maintain a good posture throughout the next day and see if that affected the headache.
The next day her daily headache failed to appear.
Kaitlin realized that she had the habit of slouching. Her head would fall forward over slouched shoulders. This was the pattern she held while in class listening to lectures, while at her computer, when reading her books and while completing her written assignments. In fact, her head was in a forward position for the majority of her waking day.
After the first headache free day, Kaitlin realized the cause of her headaches and what she had to do to eliminate them.
It all made sense; my poor posture was causing me to have terrible headaches. Right away I knew I had to start working towards having better posture. It was definitely not easy at first but sitting up straight with my head completely aligned is now embedded within my brain. I am now headache free; continuing to live my hectic life painlessly.
How Posture Exercises Benefit You
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the first things I evaluate during a client assessment is the client’s posture. I find most people benefit significantly when they follow the posture exercises I develop for them. They quickly experience the benefits and incorporate the posture exercises into their regular personal training exercise program.
Below is a short video with two of my clients, Darlene and Ken, speaking about how they have benefited from incorporating posture exercises into their programs. They are clients of both Function to Fitness Physiotherapy and Personal Training in Ottawa and my online service, MelioGuide.
Benefits of Posture Exercises
Darlene and Ken both identify a number of benefits of an improved posture through posture exercises:
- Improved personal presentation and confidence. As Darlene says, “I have become aware of the difference it makes when I stand straight and strong.”
- Increased flexibility and strength in the upper body.
- Significant health benefits such as reduction of the incidence of migraines and back pain.
- Injury prevention.
Lastly, I would like to point out that good posture is the foundation to osteoporosis treatment and prevention.
Horse Stance – Part Two
Posted by: | CommentsThe Horse Stance is an excellent exercise to build deep core spinal stabilization. I encourage many of clients who visit me at Function to Fitness Physiotherapy and Personal Training in Ottawa to incorporate it into their training program.
If you saw my Horse Stance – Part One video and did not find the exercise challenging enough, then you are ready for the more advanced (and challenging) positions demonstrated in Horse Stance – Part Two. Even if you are not ready for the more advanced and demanding poses in this video, your should still take a look so that you can see how you can progress with this exercise.
One important note: It is important that this exercise be executed properly to receive the maximum benefit. As a result, it important that you work with a Personal Trainer or Physiotherapist that knows how you should do this exercise and understands your personal capabilities.
The Horse Stance – Part One
Posted by: | CommentsThe Horse Stance is a very important exercise and should be considered as one the staples of anyone’s exercise program. It is one of the most valuable exercises in terms of strengthening the deep stabilizer muscles around the spine.
I encourage all of my physiotherapy and personal training clients to make it part of their personal training exercise program. This video is the first of a two part series on the Horse Stance in which I cover the basic position and moves. In Part Two, I will cover more advanced positions.
The Plank Exercise: On Your Hands or Your Forearms?
Posted by: | CommentsThe Plank Exercise is frequently used by many personal trainers to build core strength. But it also is effective for weightbearing through the wrist and forearm (important to people with osteoporosis to reduce the risk of fracture in case of a fall) as well as developing shoulder stabilization.
Remember that your exercise program should reflect your fitness goals and capabilities. In the case of the plank exercise, if your goal is core abdominal strength then you should choose the lower angle position. If your goal is to develop shoulder strength and reduce your risk of fracture from a forward fall, then the elevated plank stance is probably more appropriate.
Improving Your Balance
Posted by: | CommentsI feel unsteady when I walk on uneven surfaces, is there something I can do?
Yes, with some testing Margaret will be able to identify what areas you need to work on to improve your balance. As the saying goes, unless you use it you lose it! Just 5 minutes of balancing exercises a day will make a significant improvement in our stability.
How does my balance system work?
In order to balance, we rely on three systems in our body:
- Our vestibular system or inner ear.
- Our visual system or our eyes.
- Our somatosensory system also known as our joint and muscle position sensors.
The exercises listed below are to help train your joint and muscle sensors. These exercises use very little or no equipment and can be done in the comfort of your home. Margaret can do testing to determine if you need vestibular training.
How do I prepare myself for working on my balance?
Stand in stocking or bare feet. Keep the arch of your foot dynamic and not flattened out. Keep your knee over your feet. Stand with your ear, shoulder hip and ankle all in alignment. Imagine your tucking your belly button into the small of your back with your pelvis in a neutral position. Maintain this position whenever possible throughout the program.
Can you take me through some exercises that work on my balance?
Start by standing between two chairs.
1. Place your feet together holding the chairs, let go of one and then the other chair. Hold this position for 20 seconds.
2. If you feel steady with your feet close together then do the following steps a – c with your feet together otherwise stand with feet shoulder width apart to do the following:
- Sway your body side to side; keep your body straight and do not pick up your feet or bend your knees – move as though you were a solid structure from your ankles to the top of your head.
- Sway your body forward and backward (onto the balls of your feet then onto your heels).
- Imagine that your body is cone shaped with the point of the cone at your feet and the round part at your head, keeping your feet still – see how perfectly round you can make the circle- circle in both directions.
3. Holding the top of each chair transfer your weight to one foot and pick up the opposite foot. You should not let your raised foot rest on your supporting leg.
When you feel confident release the chair with one hand, then the other and hold this for up to 30 seconds with your eyes open. Repeat the test standing on the opposite foot. If you are successful you can go to exercise #7. If you cannot hold for 30 seconds go to exercise #4
4. Staying between the chairs you can now take a full step forward and hold that position. Repeat with the other leg forward.
5. Step forward with your feet on a line but several inches apartas if walking a tight rope, with one foot directly in front of the other. Repeat with the other leg forward.
6. Now bring your feet closer together so that your heel of your forward foot is touching the toes on the back foot. Repeat with the other leg forward.
7. Keeping your left foot in place during first half of the exercise; step forward onto the right leg as if to take a step, transfer weight onto the right leg and then step backward onto the right leg; repeat the motion 6 times. Repeat on the other side
8. Repeat as in #7 but now step in line—as if walking a tight rope.
9. Standing on one foot as in the 2nd exercise; move the opposite leg in slow controlled movements forwards, return to your side, sideways, return, backwards return. Build up to repeating the sequence 6 times on each leg.
How do I make the exercise program more challenging?
You can modify any of the exercises and create new challenges:
- On a softer surface such as a thick carpet, an exercise mat, out on the grass or in sand!
- Keeping your arms crossed in front of you.
- You can also train with a partner and toss a ball back and forth, under hand, overhead, from the right, from the left.
- You can cover one eye or close your eyes.
Are there Gym Ball exercises that can help me with my balance?
The following exercises should be done once you have received personal instruction and have been fitted for the correct size ball.
- Sitting pelvic tilts, pelvic shifts, pelvic circles on the ball.
- Sitting knee lifts.
- Sitting leg lifts with extended leg.
- Four point balance on the ball.
- Three point balance on the ball.
- Kneeling on the ball.
Strength Training and Importance of Good Posture
Posted by: | CommentsThe following are some important tips regarding your posture when you strength train:
- When weight lifting it is critical that you use good posture.
- Your feet should be hip-width and parallel to each other.
- Your knees should have a slight bend
- You should allow your buttocks to sit back slightly with a neutal arch in your low back.
- Your spine lengthened to comfortably make yourself as tall as possible.
- Tuck your chin slightly and relax your shoulders and arms (let your shoulders roll back, not drop forward).
- Your ear, shoulder, hip joint, (knee, and ankle – in standing) should all align when viewed from the side and you should be comfortably balanced on your feet.
- Finally, your tongue should be resting on the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth.
Function to Fitness Physiotherapy and Personal Training in Ottawa
