Staying on the straight and narrow…
According to Comana, there are three areas that are commonly misaligned: the shoulders, hips and ankles. Stretching and strengthening exercises help to fine-tune the muscles around these joints and restore ideal posture. He says everyone would benefit from some simple “maintenance” exercises that target the flexor and extensor muscles at the ankles, hips and shoulders.
I have found that the stability ball does an amazing job to restore posture; you can do these stretches without any special equipment also. Here are some great exercises for chest, shoulders and back:
Chest and shoulder stretch Lie on your back. Stretch arms out to the side and turn palms so they face upward. Inhale deeply, then exhale. Hold 30 seconds. Do two to four times – or use a stability ball and sit on the ball, walk your feet forward and roll onto the ball until your head, shoulders and back are fully supported. Relax your hips and head and let your arms fall out to the sides for a relaxing chest stretch. Hold for 3-5 breaths.
Shoulder squeeze Lie on your back, or on a half-roll, arms stretched out to the side. Bend elbows 90 degrees so arms are in a bench-press position (hands up). Squeeze shoulder blades together without arching your back. Hold five to 10 seconds. Do two to four times.
Whole body stretch with ball With your legs wide, place hands on ball (or chair, or floor) and roll it out (or walk/lean away, pressing your chest towards the floor to stretch the back and hamstrings. This is also called “downward facing dog” from yoga. Hold for 5 breaths.
Back stretch Stand in front of ball and place the side of the right hand on the ball (thumb pointing up). Roll the ball towards the left while keeping the hips square. Hold for 3-5 breaths and switch to the other side.
Catherine D’Aoust at GAIA Adventures
http://www.gaiaadventures.com
Adjusting the hips
According to Paul Chek, the amount of pelvic tilt and lumbar curve are the most important factors. Typically we need to strengthen the abdominals and stretch the hamstrings and gluts, in order to restore good posture.
Here are some great exercises for your hips and back:
Hip flexor stretch While standing, lunge right leg forward onto a step; bend that knee until you feel a stretch in left hip. Be careful not to lunge too far. Hold 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. Do 2 to 4 sets.
Glute bridge Lie on your back, or on a stability ball, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, squeeze your butt muscles and push hips towards the ceiling, keeping shoulders on the floor (or on the ball). Hold 5 to 10 seconds. Do 2 to 4 times.
Ankles can collapse inward (pronate) or roll out, which can lead to knee pain and hip or back misalignment. Try these two exercises.
Calf stretch Stand with arms stretched forward and palms against a wall. Keep left knee slightly bent and step right leg back. Keep right foot flat on the floor. Hold 15 seconds. Then, point toes of right foot inward and hold 15 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. Do 2 to 4 sets.
Proprioreceptive exercise Stand on a balance device, wobble board, bosu ball or half roll and balance. Try walking your feet out, then in to a narrow stance. Hold for 30 seconds.
-From www.gaiaadventures.com
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