HEALTH Straight talking about posture

Straight talking about posture


Yoga
Lee Kennedy

Part 2
As we discussed last week, good posture helps to prevent a whole range of back problems from kyphosis (a curvature in the spine manifested by a hunched upper back) to lordosis (extreme curvature of the lower spine). Bad posture can become a habit 
Take a close look at the furniture you use every day at work, home, college or anyplace that you spend a significant amount of time. Supportive beds and chairs and a carefully set-up desk and computer workstation will facilitate good alignment. On the other hand, a poor-quality bed, a poorly designed chair or a keyboard at the wrong height will all contribute to poor posture.
When you hunch forward at your desk, the chest collapses and compresses the heart, lungs, and diaphragm. Hunching also strains the back muscles, causing them to overstretch and become weak. If you’re collapsed in a kyphosis, the key to breaking the habit is to stretch the muscles of the chest, increase the flexibility of the thoracic spine and ribs, and strengthen and shorten the muscles of the back.
The simple practice of Salabhasana (Locust Pose) strengthens the long muscles that run parallel to the spine along with the muscles that help support the shoulder blades (the trapezium and rhomboids in particular).
In a slumped posture, the shoulder blades usually fall forward toward the chest and hunch up toward the ears. Salabhasana trains the mid back to hold the shoulder blades in their normal position, which is down away from the ears and flat against the back ribs.

Locust Pose
You will need a yoga mat and blanket to cushion the pelvis and ribs.
>  Lie on the floor, on your front with your arms along the sides of your torso, palms up, forehead resting on the floor. Extend your legs along the floor and press the tops of your feet into the floor.
>  Exhale and lift your head, upper torso, arms, and legs away from the floor. You’ll be resting on your lower ribs, stomach and front pelvis. Firm your buttocks and reach strongly through your legs.
>  Raise your arms parallel to the floor and stretch back actively through your fingertips.
>  Look forward or slightly upward, being careful not to jut your chin forward and crunch the back of your neck. Keep the base of the skull lifted and the back of the neck long.
>  Stay for 30 seconds to one minute, then release with an exhalation. Take a few breaths and repeat one or two times more if you like.

Posture tips for computer workers
DeskTry to ensure your desk is roughly belly-button level, with your elbows just below the desktop. If the desk is too low, raise it. If it’s too high, raise your chair and use a footrest. Make sure that everything you use on your desk is within easy reach.

Chair When seated, sit right back into your chair – don’t perch on the front. Pull your chair right in so that your fingers comfortably reach the keyboard and your shoulders are straight and supported by the back of your chair.

Keyboard The keyboard should be straight and not at an angle on the desk. It should also be easy to reach. Your wrists should be fairly straight. You may want to invest in a wrist support.

Mouse Keep the mouse close to your keyboard and work area. Your lower arm should be roughly parallel to your desk with your elbows just a little lower. Don’t let the weight of your arm rest on the underside of your wrist: get a special mouse pad with a gel wrist rest for support.

Telephone If you use the telephone a lot, think about getting a headset. Perch the telephone between your ear and shoulder is a bad idea.

Movement Get up from your desk at least once every 60 minutes. Walk around or do a small chore to reintroduce some movement into your body. When sitting, alter the position of your feet or rock about in your seat from time to time. This raises your body temperature just enough to help ward off tiredness.

*source: www.homeworking.com

This article is not a recommendation for your own practice but serves as interesting reading  for anyone thinking of going to a yoga class. As with any form of physical exercise, please consult your family doctor beforehand.

Lee Kennedy runs yoga classes in Empowerium, Market Lane, Westport, as well as in Newport and Castlebar. For more information on classes, call 086 390 6343 or visit www.yogadara.com.