Stewart Parkway Medical

How's your driving posture? As people become more posture aware, many notice their posture is more bent forward on the drive home than it was during the morning drive to work. Most likely, the culprit is fatigue and/or sitting in front of a computer all day.

DIY MASSAGE TOOL YOU CAN MAKE If you want a DIY solution, you can do a basic self massage routine with a couple of tennis balls, a sock, your own two hands and a few quiet minutes. Simply place two tennis balls in a sock and tie the end. Make sure the balls are about a hands width apart. Lie comfortably on your back. Place the ball sock behind the upper neck, so the two balls are below ridge at the base of your skull (right above the hollow spot in the middle of your neck). Rest for 5 minutes. Breathe slowly. Listen to soothing music. The balls put pressure on acupuncture points and send messages telling muscles to relax, which can help relax your whole body.

Change your position throughout the day. Try to spend more time with your feet planted on the floor in front of you while sitting tall. When you find yourself sitting with crossed legs, try crossing them in the other direction. The key is moving both sides of your body towards symmetry.

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. - Buddha

Bending over is a surprisingly common cause of back injury and pain. It often occurs when someone bends at the waist and hips instead of bending the knees to lower the body. To increase stability and minimize straining your back when you bend down, be sure to keep your head right above your feet (not forward of your feet). Keep your back as erect as possible and centered over your hips and feet and squat down rather than bend forward. When bending down, don’t twist your body.

Path to a stronger posture is awareness and assessment. Be Posture AWARE Take CONTROL of your body with focused exercise Build your ENVIRONMENT to be optimized for your habits and body