What I’ve discovered over the last 34 years is we just can’t approach our posture from the outside and have some arbitrary way of sitting or standing and expect our body to feel better. Like my approach to strength training, an “INSIDE-OUT” approach works best.
I can still hear my mom clearly say…”Stand up straight!” And I coached like that for the first 20 years of my career.
I’ve basically spent my life breaking it down. What I figured out was… POSTURE can be totally confusing. It seems simple…BUT it isn’t.
So, does “good posture” mean “chest out and shoulders back”? NOPE. Because when we stand like that, it pushes our weight forward onto our toes. And squeezing our shoulder blades together BLOCKS (tightens) our backside…and we want a CURVE.
TRY IT! Do you notice how your weight follows your rib cage and shifts forward over your toes?
When we stand, sit, and move like this most of our weight is in our toes…so we’re locking our knees, shoving our hips forward, dropping our chest down. We’re basically just “hanging out” on our joints…hips, sternum (chest bone), middle back… and using A LOT of our lower back to maintain this posture.
Lower back and hips tight… painful anyone?
Here’s my recommendation…ALWAYS START HERE. Because being able to exhale and reach according to your build is the FOUNDATION to better health, getting stronger, and feeling good again.
What’s your body type? EXHALE/REACH like this: 🤸♂️ Loosey-Goosey: LONG Sighing exhale (fogging a glass)/Reach arms straight up
🏋️ Super-Tight: Pursed Lip exhale (blowing out birthday candles)/Reach arms overhead Here’s what you’re gonna do...(Warm-Up/Daily Restoration)
💯Practice your STACK = Subtle Posterior Pelvic Tilt + Your Exhale... - Pelvic TUCK (Un-arch lower back) - FULL EXHALE (Specific to your build)/REACH (Specific to your build.NO NECK!) - HOLD YOUR BREATH: count to 5! - FULL INHALE with that ab tension! Silently in through your nose. 📅Daily Practice: FULL INHALE with ab tension. FULL EXHALE & REACH x 10 full breaths. Now…Let’s MOVE!
NOW TRY THIS: watch this video and follow my cues. This is my approach to coaching someone to develop more awareness on the outside while working on creating more movement options on the inside. Practice DAILY!
- Come to stand with soft knees. Relaxed arms. Tall through upper back/neck. - Take your sternum (chest bone) and lengthen it upwards. Chest up. - Take your weight and just sit back on your HEELS (feel your hamstrings working?) - FULL EXHALE (Yours!): GET ABS (notice your pelvis tucking under you?) - 10-15 FULL BREATHS X 2rds
Keep this in mind…
💥This is why EVERYTHING we strength train involves our ABS, HAMSTRINGS, and GLUTES!
Remember, it should feel effortless when standing…it SHOULDN’T feel like our back/hips are constantly hurting. I want you to be able to stand with ease and feel comfortable.
Notice during your practice, does this alleviate tension through your back, hips, and even your feet?
Let me know how you feel afterward.
Dedicated to your health and longevity,
Mike
P.S. Curious and want to see if my training style is a good fit for you? Email me for a Complimentary Assessment & 1 Free Orientation Session. No gimmicks, no pressure, just a discussion about you! I want to help you move better and feel stronger. CLICK HERE to learn more.
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