LOOK LOVELY POSTURE TIPS

Good posture helps your back and makes  you appear slimmer!

Gardening

Working in the garden can be an excellent form of exercise. You’re outside in the fresh air plus you’re on the move. There’s bending, stretching, lifting and walking, all potentially beneficial activities when performed correctly. However, osteopaths and physiotherapists know that gardening can also give rise to problems, especially back issues.

When working in the garden, consider the following:

• Lifting. Obtain help if the object is too heavy for you to lift. A load shared is a load halved. Ensure that the object is close to you. Draw your tummy in to support your back, keeping your back as straight as possible bend your knees to pick up the object. Your shoulder blades should be drawn your back to stabilise your shoulders. Breathe out as you lift with the item held close in to your body. Concerned about your clothes becoming dirty? Wear an old apron when gardening. If your clothes do become dirty remember your back is more important.

Unable to bend your knees? Consider raised flowerbeds which can look extremely attractive, place plants etc. on a garden table or bench rather that the grass, or check out for special gardening accessories to assist you.

• Twisting. Take special care here, especially if you are lifting at the time. Rotation (twisting the body) can be an issue with back problems. Obviously, the body is designed to turn e.g. from the waist and we do not want to restrict our movement unnecessarily leading to stiffness. Just be cautious. Limit any turning so that you do not strain the body.

• Digging. Keep the tummy drawn in to support the spine, shoulders drawn down as much as possible and take care with twisting to the side. Lengthen through the back and neck to avoid compressing your spine.

• History of slipped disc or similar? Keep your lower back as straight as possible when working in the garden. When reaching for an object to the side of you, turn the whole body rather than spiralling from the waist. Be sensible regarding the weight of any loads you need to lift. Obtain assistance when required.

 

Enjoy your garden!

Posture Notes:  

When I was six, I remember my grandma commenting on my posture. ‘She’ll have back problems when she grows up,’ was granny’s refrain. Sadly, granny was right. Good posture is important. I did grow up to have back problems.

Posture affects you health. If you slump, you are literally squashing your insides. Round shoulders close in the upper body, gradually shortening the muscles to the front and weakening those at the back of the shoulders. A compressed lower spine may lead to a painful back as there is no longer the space for discs, blood supply and nerves to function properly.

The head is the heaviest part of the body. If it is forward of the spine so that the ears are  in front of the shoulders this brings problems as the body attempts to support it. Neck issues and headaches can arise.

These are just a few of the issues arising from poor posture. Bearing in mind that if you have a medical issue such as low bone density, a curved spine or muscles that have  shortened over time it may not be possible to achieve ‘perfect posture’, here are a few tips to attain an improvement. Be kind to yourself, don’t try to change everything at once. Your body needs to adjust gently. If you have medical concerns do check with your GP.

One tip if you have back pain – a poorly fitting bra can be a contributor. This isn’t a substitute for checking with your doctor as there are many causes of back pain, but it’s certainly worth considering as one of a range of possibilities, particularly if you haven’t been measured for a while or your bras have seen better days.

Posture

Remember to keep your breath flowing throughout.

• Stand in front of a mirror, full length if possible, with your feet hip distance apart. Let the feet place allowing the knees to face the front. Toes should be level.

• Lengthen up gently imagining you have a string attached to the back of the head. The chin faces the front, parallel to the ground, eyes look directly ahead.

• Feel open across the upper body. Allow the arms to hang softly.

• Draw your tummy in, about a third to a quarter of the way in. (If you pull in too hard you will over tighten incorrect muscles).

• Ensure your weight is even on the feet. Weight should be shared evenly between the ball of the foot and the heel. Toes are spread, with weight through the big toe and the little toe.

• Lengthen through your legs and hips. Ensure your knees are a little soft and not locked back in a rigid position.

• Keep long through your spine. Keep your ribs drawn into your body so that you are not pushing your chest out distorting the shape of your spine.

• Lift up the décolleté area to open up the chest. This should assist breathing.

• Keep lengthened through the back of your neck. Allow the head to float gently on the top of your body like a helium balloon. Check your chin is still parallel to the floor with the eyes looking forward. 

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