Are You Sitting Comfortably?

“Your posture is everything” might seem like a bold statement but think about it this way… Your skeleton is the framework from which your muscles, vital organs and fluid transport systems hang. This is all bounded by fascia and covered with skin. When your skeletal structure is in its optimum position (for your body type) all the inner stuff can hang and rest as it is designed to. When you move properly all the affected parts should glide over each other without pain or damage and without “sticking”.

Put a twist in the posture and rather like sitting on a well made bed, everything else gets twisted, moved, scrunched up to compensate. Move in an unnatural way and stresses are placed on structures in ways that they were not designed for.

Repeated movements or long held positions can influence the relationships between the various parts of the body. This is probably obvious to all but what might not be quite so obvious is how many apparently different activities have similar consequences to the body and its internal components. For example: using a computer at a desk can involve similar muscles to driving a car, playing video games or watching TV. Add up how many hours you spend in on or other of these positions and you won’t be surprised to find that your body has learned that this is your “favourite” position – seated with arms held out in front. Accordingly, it’s likely that some muscles have shortened, others have lengthened and some have actually become adhered to the structures around them.

Generally, stretching regularly and simply getting up and walking about will help to relieve this.

One of my favourite books of all time has to be “Stretching” by Bob Anderson as it covers an impressive range of activities with bespoke stretches as well as generic ones for everyday purposes. It is simple to follow and easy integrate into daily routine. However, many more are available along with on-line resources.

For a simple start check out NHS Choices: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/how-to-stretch.aspx

For bad backs Spine-health recommend the following: http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/stretching-back-pain-relief

But when postural errors have been left unchecked, sometimes for years, we need something a little deeper than a stretch. This is where a qualified massage therapist can help. Through gentle (or in some cases not so gentle) manipulation of the tissues the body can be encouraged to rediscover their natural relationships and good posture can naturally follow. You can be assured that at Caro Holistic Healthcare we look at your natural posture and tailor our treatments to suit you and your body as it is now in order to help it return to where it will perform best.

Note: There are literally millions of pages on the web offering advice so I have to offer a word of caution when selecting your favourites, please seek professional, qualified advice before you dive in and try for the first time. Over-zealous stretching can cause more harm than good.