Master Simple Posture Tips For Optimal Comfort & Health

Are you tired of constantly trying to "hold yourself up" against gravity? If so, you're not alone. Many of us have been told to "pull our shoulders back", "tuck in our butts" and "hold in our bellies" to achieve good posture. But this isn't the key to achieving optimal comfort and health!

People often think that good posture is about tensing muscles and holding your body in a certain way, but in reality - it's not. Good posture is actually about relaxation and allowing your bones to be the structure that supports you against gravity. 

In this article, we'll discuss simple posture tips for optimal comfort & health so that you can free yourself from the traditional ideas of what "good posture" should look like.

Definition of Good Posture

Good posture is not about holding your body in a certain way or tensing your muscles. It's actually about positioning your bones in a way that provides support for the rest of your body. This allows for good circulation and prevents unnecessary tightness from developing in various body parts, such as the neck, shoulders, and hips.

Why Tensing Muscles Does Not Equal Good Posture

When we tense our muscles to pull our shoulders back and tuck in our butts, we create muscle tension throughout the body. This can lead to headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, overactive bladder, and digestive issues. Our bodies were not designed to tense the muscles to hold ourselves up against gravity constantly - we need to relax and let our bones be the structure that supports us.

Relaxation for Optimal Posture

The key to good posture is relaxation. The optimal way to achieve this is by letting your body weight fall into your feet when you are standing and onto your sit bones when you are sitting. This will support the rest of your body without having to tense up any muscles.

Standing

When you are standing, let your body weight fall into your feet. If you have flat arches, consider an arch support to help your feet bear the weight of your body. This will take pressure off your hip and core muscles and prevent unnecessary tightness from developing in those body parts.

Sitting

When you're sitting, let your body weight fall into your pelvis. Sit on top of your sit bones to provide support versus sitting back on your butt cheeks. You'll notice that when you sit on top of the sit bones, you're naturally upright and don't have to pull your shoulders back.

The Best Posture

The best posture is not static or rigid - it's dynamic and constantly changing! To keep your body from getting stiff and tight, you should shift your posture throughout the day.

Moving Throughout the Day

 If you sit primarily during the day, take several breaks and walk for a minute to keep your blood flowing. If you stand primarily during the day, rock back and forth on your feet, go up onto your toes and sway your hips to keep your blood flowing. These little shifts in your posture can significantly affect how your body works.

Benefits of Little Shifts in Posture

 When you make little shifts in your posture throughout the day, you'll experience improved circulation and a reduction of tightness and stiffness. You'll also be able to maintain comfortable body positions for longer periods without constantly tensing up any muscles. The more you practice, the easier it will become to make these little shifts in your posture and move throughout the day.

Conclusion

To maintain optimal comfort and health, it's important to relax your muscles and let your bones provide the structure for your body. Stand on top of your feet with your weight evenly distributed across both feet and sit on top of your sit bones.

Make sure to move throughout the day and make little shifts in your posture - this will help keep your body healthy and comfortable. By following these simple posture tips, you can say goodbye to the traditional idea of what "good posture" should look like and experience a more natural way of standing, sitting, and moving.

Dr. Nikki Cohen
Pelvic Floor Therapist in San Diego,
Services in English
Address: San Diego, California
92115 United States
Phone: +1 (818) 606-6717
Email: [email protected]