It’s without a doubt an important part of our physical and mental health but a lot of times we don’t know how to adopt a good posture. As soon as I walk into a room to present a workshop and introduce myself as a posture specialist, people suck their bellies in, throw back their shoulders, and become rigid. This type of posture can lead to fatigue and isn’t sustainable.

There are numerous myths and misconceptions surrounding posture. To understand proper posture, it is necessary to debunk these myths and misconceptions. Let’s dive into top five posture myths my clients often believe.

Posture Myths

Sit and Stand as Straight as Possible

Proper posture doesn’t mean mimicking a soldier’s stance. This rigid posture can lead to muscle tension and fatigue overtime. Our spine is not rigid and straight. It has three distinctive curves, the inward cervical curve, the outward thoracic curve, and the inward lumbar curve.

It’s important to recognize that a proper posture should support these natural curves of our spine.

We all have unique bodies, with wide or narrow hips and flexible or tight muscles. Proper posture is the natural alignment, which is different for different individuals. There are some general guidelines to follow like head aligned over the spine, shoulders soft, and aligned over hips but they don’t look the same for everyone. When it comes to adopting proper posture, comfort and individuality is key.

Holding Still is Key

Many people believe, forcing our body to stay in one position, which is considered an ideal position, will, over time, improve their posture. Honestly, reverse is true.

The main reason for muscle imbalances is holding our bodies in the hunched over deskbound posture for a long period of time. Whenever a client complains of pain in a certain region, it’s because they are holding a certain stance for extended period without moving.

Our bodies are built to move. To find your natural posture and avoid imbalances we need to move often. It might be taking more frequent bathroom breaks, switching position from seated to standing, and going for short leisurely walks. Our body and spine crave motion, which leads to proper posture.

Standing Desk Will be The Fix it All

Standing desks are a great way to improve posture but they are not a fix it all. It’s best to change your positions often. That means taking a break from standing as well.

I see many clients who have standing desks but have no relief of back, neck or shoulder pain.

I’m a big proponent of standing desks as they allow breaking your work hours between sitting and standing. But standing all day can lead to muscle tension and posture dysfunction if done for a long time. Standing in one position can lead to plantar fasciitis, vascular issues, and pelvic shift on your dominant side to name a few issues.

The key lies in switching positions from time to time.

My Bad Posture Is Genetic

There are genetic posture issues, but they are not as common as we’d like to believe. Having a genetic posture anomaly doesn’t mean that you can’t work on it.

Did you know that Usain bolt has scoliosis? Scoliosis is a genetic disorder which causes an abnormal sideways curve of the spine. Scoliosis most often limits people’s life with the only hope that a spinal surgery would cure it. It didn’t limit Bolt. He used the knowledge of his condition as a power. He says he keeps his core and back strong, the scoliosis doesn’t really bother him.

If the fastest man on earth with a genetic postural anomaly can break world records by making changes in his life, then so can you. There are many exercises that can be done to make having good posture easier. Once you are fix your muscle imbalances and good posture will become an easy habit to adopt for you.

Posture Dysfunction Can be Fixed Overnight

Posture isn’t something that we develop in a short period of time. Instead, the posture we hold today was developed gradually overtime due to our work habits and emotional state.

Finding your natural posture takes time. Although it’s tempting to believe in quick fixes, like wearing a back brace but that’s not true. Reverting to your natural posture requires correct assessment, care, and consistent action.

We need to unlearn the old neural patterns and develop new ones for our muscles and ligaments to adopt the new position. This can be accomplished by exercises, stretches, and lifestyle adjustments. Checkout my fifteen minutes a day posture program in my book Unhunched: Discover Wellness Through Posture.

Bottom Line

While it’s not uncommon for these myths to be believed by many, it’s important to note that most of them are simply exaggerations of the truth. The key takeaway here is that your posture should ultimately feel comfortable, rather than strained and rigid. If you’ve tried to improve your posture but continue to experience discomfort or pain, it may be beneficial to seek guidance from a skilled movement specialist who can provide personalized assistance.

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What motivates you? 

I am motivated to stay in optimal physical and mental condition. I am a multi-sport athlete, participating in ice hockey, baseball, softball, wrestling, rugby, biathlon, cross-country skiing, and marathon running. I have been a soccer coach for kids aged 6 to 16 and a half-marathon coach.

Give us a background of your wellness journey? How did you get started? What inspired you?

I have long known the need to maintain optimal fitness and health. I have always worked out in one fashion or another since I was a child. Fitness became more critical when I wrestled at university, and it became a permanent part of my lifestyle once I joined the Army. I live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I had some great experiences during my military career – and some not-so-great ones. I view physical fitness as the foundation for good mental health.

What inspires you in life?

Courage inspires me. Whether it is the soldier’s courage, the cancer patient, the caregiver for the cancer patient, or the single mom with six kids doing the night shift, courage in others encourages me to give back as much as I can to help others overcome the barriers in their lives. I am particularly drawn to help those who serve others, such as military members, First Responders, i.e., police, fire, and emergency medical staff, front-line health care workers, and teachers. Of course, there are countless other occupations, but these are the ones that I am closest to.

Your favorite movie and why?

Margaret’s Museum (1989). Although a work of fiction, most of the background narrative is true. This movie displays the hardships that many people in my hometown had to endure in the 20th Century, and still have to overcome in the 21st Century. It is not for the faint of heart.

Your favorite book and why?

Thinking, Fast and Slow by 2004 Nobel Prize Laureate Daniel Kahneman (2011). This book became my go-to text when preparing talks on overcoming biased thinking patterns (i.e., cognitive traps) and making better judgments. It is never far from my desktop.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

To snap my fingers and take away people’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, adverse childhood events, depression, and anxiety. You never know what the stranger beside you might be confronting every day when they wake up – or when they turn off the light.

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There are many different types of Yoga that are practiced today. You can practice Yoga without ever leaving your seat; you can take advantage of the many benefits of chair yoga. If age, illness, or an injury has made exercising challenging, it doesn’t mean you can’t practice Yoga. Chair yoga is a great way to practice and is safe and effective.

Who’s Chair Yoga For?

Individuals of all ages and activity levels can enjoy chair yoga classes. Chair yoga was initially introduced to the fitness arena to modify the hatha yoga style. Chair yoga had primarily catered to the special population with mobility and health issues, but soon it became popular among the young and the old alike. In the same way that a traditional yoga practice flows through motion and poses for increased flexibility, chair yoga flows through those sequences on the chair or with the support of the chair.

For many people working a desk job for 8 hours, just a gym membership doesn’t undo the effects of sitting long hours. If you are looking to introduce physical activity to your office or desk space, chair yoga is for you. Standing desks, stability balls, and walking breaks are all good practices. Why not add regular chair yoga practice? 

Debbie Kell, a ToneandStrengthen team member and certified yoga instructor, has been teaching chair yoga classes for several years. In her expert opinion, “those of us who are trapped all day in a desk job can find time to practice some yoga, right in our chairs, to help refresh the body and restore our energy. A few minutes here and there can make a difference.”

If your work involves frequent travel and you find yourself sitting at the airport or on the plane for hours, chair yoga is the perfect way to stretch and move. Chair yoga exercises during a long flight can lessen the potential risk of blood clots. According to the American Society of Hematology, for flights longer than eight hours, “Blood clots can sometimes form in your legs during air travel because you are immobile for long periods.” 

Benefits of Chair Yoga

Debbie shares many of the chair yoga benefits with us. They are listed below.

• Chair yoga helps us quiet the mind, calm our moods, steady our emotional fluctuations, and sharpen our mental focus.
• Chair Yoga brings us greater awareness about our bodies.
• It Steadies our breathing, expands our range of motion, increases our balance, and builds strength throughout our bodies.   
• Chair yoga gives us the ability to better cope with stress and stay balanced, both physically and mentally.  
• Chair yoga enhances our range of motion, and we build physical strength, especially in the core.
• When we use the chair as a prop, we can experiment with movements and postures that otherwise might be intimidating. Chair yoga practice lets us borrow the chair’s stability and build on it with our bodies.
• Practicing chair yoga can inspire us to transition to more traditional mat-based yoga classes (that’s what Debbie’s clients’ experience has been).

Debbie says that’s not all. She thinks, “there’s something that many don’t think about regarding Yoga. Yoga trains the body to find ease through functional and fluid movement. We’re not working with isolated movements when we practice Yoga. Our bodies are moving through space, balancing, finding leverage, becoming stronger in ways that enhance our ability to participate in our lives. Yoga treats the body as a whole system. ” 

You can do chair yoga nearly anywhere you can find a place to sit. Try a virtual Chair Yoga session with Debbie Kell on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. ET. Click HERE for more information about the classes.

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Muscles Targeted-

This pose extends the hamstring muscles, semitendinosus and biceps femorus, hip adductors, and hip abductors. It strengthens the thighs and arms, activating rectus femoris muscles and arm muscles. It also activates deep glute muscles, namely the gluteus Medius muscle.

Benefits of Warrior-II –

• Stretches your hips, groin and chest
• Strengthens thighs and arms
• Opens the hips and shoulders.
• Stimulates your abdominal organs
• Improves circulation
• Increases stamina

How to Get into Warrior II –

Face the front of your mat, arms stretched into a T. Legs parallel to each other in a wide stance with right foot facing forward and left foot parallel to the mat.
• Bend your right knee and stack it above your ankle.
• Keep the crown of your head stacked over your pelvis.
• Align your shoulders over your hips.
• Press the tips of your hands in equal and opposite direction
• Turn and look past your right fingertips.
• Hold for 5–10 breaths.
• Repeat on the other side.

Modifications-

• If you struggle to stay in this pose, stand next to a wall. Place a block between your shin and the wall for stability.
• If holding the pose is very challenging, try to practice a flow. Move in and out of Warrior -II. Straighten the front leg and raise your arms above your head, as you inhale. Bend the front leg again and lower your arms parallel to the floor, as you exhale.
• To prevent the front knee from collapsing inwards, align the inside of your knee with the last two toes of your foot. There is a slight external rotation of you front hip.

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Let’s dig into the benefits, how to practice it, and modifications of this pose.

Benefits of Downward Dog-

• This pose stretches your lower body. It helps to stretch the hamstrings, calves, and ankles fully.
• Downward dog is a weight-bearing inversion. So, it helps to strengthen your shoulders and upper body.
• This pose promotes blood circulation throughout your body.
• Downward dog can improve posture by opening the chest muscles and lengthening your spine.
• It stretches the small muscles in your feet and can relieve the plantar fascia pain.

How to Get into Downward Dog Pose-

• Get into a quadruped position with hands stacked under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Lift your knees. Tuck your toes under your heels and lift your knees. Extend your legs to lift both knees in the air.
• Lengthen your spine, pressing through the palms of your hands and balls of your feet.
• Pike and push your pelvis up toward the ceiling.
• Hold the pose for as long as you are comfortable breathing deep.

Modifications-

• Bend your knees if your hamstrings and calves are tight.
• If your heels are more than a couple of inches from the mat and you can’t hold the downward dog due to tight lower leg muscles, place a rolled-up towel under your heels to get into this pose.
• If your wrists bother you, hold onto blocks or drop your elbows under your shoulders and balance on your forearms.

Downward dog is a peaceful, refreshing, and blissful pose. Try adding a downward dog to your yoga practices to reap all these amazing benefits.

The post How and Why of Downward Dog! 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Use the chair as a prop to make many of the traditional yoga asanas (movements or poses) more accessible. This 60-minute class will open with a short meditation, move through seated warm-ups, and progress to standing poses using the back of the chair for balance. Debbie will offer variations and options throughout the practice so that you can tailor your experience to meet the needs of your mind, body, and soul. Debbie’s teaching is passionate, respectful of individual bodies, attentive to alignment, and characterized by thematic flows. Feel both soothed and energized with this accessible yoga practice.

Set up your device and have a seat!

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*An upright chair like a kitchen chair or a stable folding chair is recommended for this class. No wheelies please*

The post Chair Yoga with Debbie – Mar 3rd – Apr 7th 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Set up your device and have a seat!

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*An upright chair like a kitchen chair or a stable folding chair is recommended for this class. No wheelies please*

The post Chair Yoga with Debbie 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Use the chair as a prop to make many of the traditional yoga asanas (movements or poses) more accessible. This 60-minute class will open with a short meditation, move through seated warm-ups, and progress to standing poses using the back of the chair for balance. Debbie will offer variations and options throughout the practice so that you can tailor your experience to meet the needs of your mind, body, and soul. Debbie’s teaching is passionate, respectful of individual bodies, attentive to alignment, and characterized by thematic flows. Feel both soothed and energized with this accessible yoga practice.

Set up your device and have a seat!

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*An upright chair like a kitchen chair or a stable folding chair is recommended for this class. No wheelies please*

The post Chair Yoga with Debbie – Jan 20th – Feb 17th 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Set up your device and have a seat!

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*An upright chair like a kitchen chair or a stable folding chair is recommended for this class. No wheelies please*

*No Class Feb 24th*

The post Chair Yoga with Debbie 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

It’s a gentle yoga flow for all fitness levels to give you energy and help you focus throughout your day.  You will gain strength and flexibility in your muscles while having a strong mind body connection.  Each class will combine a balanced series of poses with a focus on opening up one of several potential areas of tightness, such as your hamstrings, hips, shoulders, or neck.  A selection of restorative poses will support your body with props, so the muscles, fascia and nervous system can take a break from the daily grind.  

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*Yoga mat and two blocks are suggested for this class *

The post Vinyasa Yoga – Jan 18th – Feb 22nd 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.