Top 5 things to add to improve your posture (and ultimate health) this year.

*I will direct many of my patients to use this blog post as a reference blog to be used daily or weekly to improve their posture and mobility.*

If you still don’t think ‘sitting is the new smoking’. See : Health hazards of sitting

The laundry list of issues include:

Prolonged sitting correlated to increases in mortality risk, heart disease, cancer, leg disorders, spinal disc damage, neck, mid and low back pain, brain fog, etc.

1. FOUNDATION TRAINING

One of my favourite new exercises I have included to my lifestyle routine is Foundation Training

I have received great feedback from patients as a beneficial tool to increase mobility, core stability and reduce stiffness. Great to break up the day of prolonged sitting.

2. BOX BREATHING

Breathing properly is often a challenge for most of us with high stress and timelines combined with poor posture. If you have a ever struggled with purposeful breathing for relaxation or meditation or during Yoga practice, box breathing may the perfect start.

I use it while driving, times of stress and also use it to quit the mind to help me fall asleep.

How to perform box breathing

http://boxbreathing.org/

3. SQUAT AND HOLD

I have also added the Squat hold as a daily practice to increase my hip, knee and ankle mobility:

How to perform squat and hold

When doing an activity with the kids I will also encourage them to hold this position as the western world habit of sitting in chairs increases we slowly lose this range of motion.

4. CHIN TUCK

Classic Chin retraction is critical to reducing neck and low back pain and stiffness.

5. STANDING WORKSTATION

At home or in the office you may want to consider taking breaks and/or a standing workstation.

This is why:

Importance of breaks in sedentary time.

Standing workstations and treadmill desks