Hot Tips

Straighten Up

Straighten up, Sister! You’re slouching as you read this, aren’t you? Proper alignment and good posture go a long way in making you feel better, and in making you feel better about yourself. Ears should align directly over the shoulders, shoulders over the hips, and when standing, hips over the ankles. This is especially tough to remember when at the computer or the dinner table, behind the wheel, or watching television. In a nutshell, here’s what happens when you are in a seated slouch: you put pressure on your abdominal cavity, you compress your heart, lungs, stomach, liver, and kidneys, you block the blood flow from feet to brain, you invite headaches, fatigue, upper abdominal pain, and so much more. Even trivial posture misalignments, compounded over the years, can lead to significant pain.

Military personnel the world over are taught to stand ramrod tall for a reason. Superb posture communicates health, strength, respect, readiness, and energy. And, it keeps the wrinkles out of the uniforms. :-)

In ballet, the image is given that you are a marionette being moved by some invisible puppeteer…a string attaches to the top of your head and suspends you upwards in all you movements. Even when you are bending your knees in a deep plie, “down” is still “up”. It’s no wonder these people look lighter than air. Ballet dancers all understand the whole alignment paradigm, but not just because it makes them look more beautiful. Proper alignment prevents injury. No dancer wants to be out of a job.

Speaking of jobs, what if Vanna White had schlepped and slouched over to turn one of those letters? Think she would have had that career for long?

So straighten up, Sister. You will look ten years younger, ten pounds lighter, and feel 100 times better. Good posture is good attitude. And remember, it’s pretty much all about the attitude.

 

~ more hot tips ~

 

"Information supplied by FLASHionables, Inc. is not intended, nor should it be construed, as a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your health care provider to make sure your complaints are menopause related and follow his or her advice before changing your dietary regimen."