Posture Assessment: Check Your Own Posture With My Guide
Posture Assessment:How's yours? I'd guess you might answer 'it could be better'. In a survey of 106 people I conducted in 2006, 83% said they were not happy with their posture. In my teaching practice, I'm a teacher of The Alexander Technique, I see many people who give themselves bad backs, stiff necks and tight shoulders in an attempt to correct their shape. They may look a little straighter when they try to 'stand up straight' - but only with a lot of effort. They soon get tired and collapse back to their original shape. So What About Your Posture?
See 'before and after' photo on the right. For more details please click here You'll know that a good posture is important for your health and well-being. After all, if you look good, you feel good and life can be a lot easier. A good posture reduces those aching muscles and aid good breathing, digestion and circulation. But is yours a natural good posture? Or is it fixed? Have a look at the photos below. Posture Assessment: Sitting PostureCompare your sitting posture to the ones below - it's best to ask a colleague to take a photo, but sit as you normally would.To assess your standing and neck postures, please download my free guide by filling in the form at the foot of this page. 1. Sitting Posture: Slump/ Slouch
If your posture looks something like this, you are not alone – I see many like this. Note - the white line now passes down the front of the body so the weight of the head (8lbs or more!) is pulling the spine forward putting stress on the neck and shoulder muscles. Over time this can lead to quite serious discomfort. Unfortunately sitting at a desk can do this to most people’s backs! The spine is unable to support the head as nature intended, resulting in additional effort from other muscles to keep the body upright. Look like your posture? - click here to see how to change it. 2. Sitting Posture: Forced
This is what most people consider to be a good sitting position. However, I have put a big red arrow on it to give you a clue where she is going wrong.If your photo looks like this, it is no doubt due to being told to ‘sit up straight’ as a child. I see many adults who suffer lower back pain but continue to sit like this in the belief it is ‘good for the back’. Yet when you compare this to the poised sitting posture (below) you can see what ‘sitting up straight’ the conventional way will do for the lower back. This forced position actually shortens the spine and compresses the disks in the lower back. Over time this can lead to a deterioration of these disks and a considerable amount of discomfort. If you sit like this in an attempt to do it 'right' - see my sitting posture video to see how to make it easier on your back. 3. Sitting Posture: Poised
If your photo resembles this posture and you can sit with no effort, then well done!This position puts virtually no stress on your back as the weight of the head sits directly on top of the spine and passes directly down to the chair - see white line. Also check the blue line is horizontal that indicates the absence of neck tension that would otherwise pull the head back. This is poised sitting and it far more desirable than the slump of forced sitting postures above. Once you dtop trying to 'sit up straight', or letting your neck collapse forward, the spine can maintain its natural curves as it is not pulled out of shape by inappropriate muscular tension. Of course, the trick is to learn how to 'relax without collapse'. When you can do this, you'll become poised and notice all your activities, whether active or static, will feel freer, lighter and a lot easier. See my Posture program to see how you can achieve this.
Complete Posture Assessment Guide 
To download my Complete Posture Assessment Guide, please enter your details on this form.In this guide you will be able to check your standing, sitting and head/ neck posture and see a video of correcting your sitting position to the poised one above. I promise I will not share your information with any other person, website or company.
Get A Better Posture Without The Effort!
If you already know your posture is poor and you want to skip the posture assessment and go straight to getting a better shape, please see details of my Posture Program here.It's a unique approach to improving your posture in that it doesn't include a single posture exercise! Instead, there number of easy-to-follow, proven techniques I've used over the last fifteen years in my teaching practice - and I can guarantee they work! |
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Assess Your Posture
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