Got good posture?
I don't have good posture. The physical therapist charged with repairing my radiation-damaged arm told me so. She told me my shoulders round forward and so does my head. This makes my stomach stick out which in turn contributes to the obsession I have about my stomach which, well, sticks out.My therapist cannot fully fix my tummy -- I think a plastic surgeon can, though -- but she can help. By standing more upright, she says, I can at least give the illusion that my gut does not protrude out as far as it actually does. Here's what she instructed me to do.
- Stand with feet slightly apart and knees slightly bent. This is the way nature intended for us to stand, by the way. We were never meant to stand with locked knees. This only makes our bones and joints do the work of our muscles, which are assigned the responsibility of supporting our stances.
- Put one hand on the heart and one hand on the stomach.
- Take a deep breath and notice the chest expand. Hold here for a moment and observe how the chest and abdomen are in line.
- Let the breath out but keep the chest in position.
- Remove hands and there you have it: Perfect posture.
I must admit my transformed posture feels a bit funny, kind of like I'm about to tip over. But if good posture, aside from all its other merits, keeps my tummy in proper alignment, I'm all for falling on my face.
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