This is based on modest amounts of information and a fair amount of theory. I do NOT recommend using your initial ideas to correct your posture.
I developed back aches when I tried to correct my posture, and a couple of people I know got backaches after years of self-directed posture correction.
Yes, I know, people get backaches, how do I know there was a causal connection?
Here comes the theory—if you have bad posture, you’re probably pretty numb. Your first idea of how to make a correction will be a guess based on ideas from the culture, not an attentive approach based on either detailed knowledge of the human body or sensitivity to your own body.
When you make your correction, you will be able to feel that you’ve made a change, and I think this can turn into a case of “something must be done, this is something, therefore it must be done”.
I recommend Feldenkrais method (I’ve gotten good results from Somatics (the fifteen minute morning sequence was great for my lower back) and Mindful Sponteneity (the moving while lying on a rolled blanket does more to release deep muscle tension than a lot of massages I’ve had), Alexander Technique, or careful thought and experimentation.
Part of the problem is that “posture” is a static image, but what people need is a style of sitting, standing and whatever which allows for easy movement.
I recommend Ageless Spine, Lasting Health—it’s got a very sensible feedback system for improving posture and movement. The part I remember is moving your pelvis forward and backward and noticing what position makes your breathing easiest. This is an excellent feedback system for improvement. Possibly TMI, but I found it helped a lot to prevent constipation, something I never would have thought was a postural issue.
However, the author notes that this doesn’t work for everyone, and at that point she recommends getting a teacher. I give a lot of credit to people who admit that their advice doesn’t work for everyone.
Uncommon Sensing](http://www.uncommonsensing.com/ offering one free Feldenkrais exercise (about forty minutes) per month. Not only are they good exercises (for the nervous system—they aren’t for challenging strength or endurance), but the one-a-month schedule eliminates the impediment of having to choose an exercise from the many available. One of them increased my hip mobility enough so that getting up on a bar stool became easy—I’m very short, and this is the first that bar stools haven’t been an annoyance.
This is based on modest amounts of information and a fair amount of theory. I do NOT recommend using your initial ideas to correct your posture.
I developed back aches when I tried to correct my posture, and a couple of people I know got backaches after years of self-directed posture correction.
Yes, I know, people get backaches, how do I know there was a causal connection?
Here comes the theory—if you have bad posture, you’re probably pretty numb. Your first idea of how to make a correction will be a guess based on ideas from the culture, not an attentive approach based on either detailed knowledge of the human body or sensitivity to your own body.
When you make your correction, you will be able to feel that you’ve made a change, and I think this can turn into a case of “something must be done, this is something, therefore it must be done”.
I recommend Feldenkrais method (I’ve gotten good results from Somatics (the fifteen minute morning sequence was great for my lower back) and Mindful Sponteneity (the moving while lying on a rolled blanket does more to release deep muscle tension than a lot of massages I’ve had), Alexander Technique, or careful thought and experimentation.
Part of the problem is that “posture” is a static image, but what people need is a style of sitting, standing and whatever which allows for easy movement.
this was an unhelpful comment, removed and replaced by this comment
I recommend Ageless Spine, Lasting Health—it’s got a very sensible feedback system for improving posture and movement. The part I remember is moving your pelvis forward and backward and noticing what position makes your breathing easiest. This is an excellent feedback system for improvement. Possibly TMI, but I found it helped a lot to prevent constipation, something I never would have thought was a postural issue.
However, the author notes that this doesn’t work for everyone, and at that point she recommends getting a teacher. I give a lot of credit to people who admit that their advice doesn’t work for everyone.
She’s got an updated version, but I don’t know how different it is.
Uncommon Sensing](http://www.uncommonsensing.com/ offering one free Feldenkrais exercise (about forty minutes) per month. Not only are they good exercises (for the nervous system—they aren’t for challenging strength or endurance), but the one-a-month schedule eliminates the impediment of having to choose an exercise from the many available. One of them increased my hip mobility enough so that getting up on a bar stool became easy—I’m very short, and this is the first that bar stools haven’t been an annoyance.
Thanks for asking.
Thanks for the update! :)