Life Fit with Laura Lewis: A Posture Technique Can Make You Fit

Being Life Fit is about your total health, including the health of all of your relationships. Life Fit is a journey, not a destination. It is a process of continuous growth: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Check in each Tuesday to Life Fit with Laura Lewis, author of "52 Ways To A Healthy You," as we explore our total life fitness. Then, weigh in with your own thoughts over at Laura's "Life Fit Chat" each Wednesday and Thursday for further discussion on the week's topic. Or check out "Ask Laura" every Friday for answers! For more information visit Laura at www.LauraLewis.com.

Did you know by changing your posture, with a very specific technique I learned years ago, you can make your body stronger, appear leaner, taller and be healthier too? That's right. If you change the way you stand, sit and walk, you can change your level of fitness. But first, some history ...

Lessons Learned: Many moons ago, I was what was known as an "aerobics queen." At one time, I was teaching fourteen high impact (now called crazy if you ask me) classes per week. For those of you who don't know what high impact is, just imagine a person jumping up and down in place, running side to side and frantically flailing her arms all for the sake of raising her heart rate, getting more toned and burning fat right before your very eyes. Talk about "smoking!"

Burning fat ..."smoking"... get it?

Anyway, as I beat up my poor feet and legs over and over again, my body began to rebel. I would wake up in the morning, gingerly place each foot upon the floor one at a time and ease my body weight onto them. Screaming pain would shoot up the front of my shins as I would gasp, wincing and shaking my head. Then ever so slowly, I would shuffle to my bathroom, wipe the sleep out of my eyes and prepare for another day of mania. Shin splints were not fun. I had pounded my feet into the ground so hard that my poor muscles were almost shredded in my lower legs. If you happen to remember those days of yesteryear, we were crazy to go to the extremes that we did. I ended up learning that going to extremes did not necessarily pay off. Now, I do all that I can to try to stay fit with minimal damage to my body! That includes the way I stand. And walk. And sit!

Change your posture, change your life? You bet ... Read on!

Posture and fitness. Following those days of fitness mania, I began to study various types of disciplines such as yoga, pilates, as well as one called "physiosynthesis." Ever heard of it? Probably not. Developed during the same time, in the 30s, that Joseph Pilates was creating his technique, "physio" was created as a way to bring your body back into balance using certain simple exercises. Having been more of a "mover" in classes, I found the technique extremely passive and rather "ho hum." However, I did learn a very interesting strategy for "activating" certain muscle groups just by shifting my body posture. It not only would "hold" my body in a more optimal alignment, but it would also strengthen and actually change the way my body looked. It was amazing to experience and to see others appear slimmer just by changing the way they stand! And muscles were "activated" too, having to really work to hold the posture in place, thus ultimately creating stronger, more toned muscles including the inner thighs, upper back and butt! By simply shifting my body ever so slightly, it made all the difference in the world. To this day I still teach this to individuals and groups as a "bonus" in their program! And all it takes is five minutes to create the awareness.

The Technique: Ready to try it? Here goes ...

1. Stand with your feet together, arms down by your side.

2. Open your heels two inches while bending and keeping your knees together (You may feel silly but press on).

3. Now, slightly tip your pelvis forward, also called dropping your tail bone. As you tip your hips forward, you'll feel your inner thighs as well as your "glutes" or buttock muscles activate. Cool huh?

4. To straighten up, lift your sternum or chest, opening your ribs and lengthening your abdominal muscles.

5. Raise your shoulders up to your ears then roll them "back" and then "lock" them down by using your "lat" muscles, or the muscles just underneath your armpits, located in your upper back. You'll feel them contracting. This may be very uncomfortable for you, as you may have been accustomed to your shoulders rolled forward. Keeping your chest open and lifted is healthier; locking down the muscles will ultimately change your posture and appearance.

6. Next, imagine a string at the top of your head pulling straight up. Are you jutting your chin forward? Pull it back in, aligning your head on top of your spine!

Even though you have "activated" many muscle groups, you also need to try to relax! Okay, stop laughing ... you really can relax!

So now you look like a duck with great posture right? Actually the exercise will force you to "wake up" various muscle groups that should be toned and activated as you stand. You can do this standing in a grocery store line, at the bank, anywhere you find yourself simply standing, waiting. You'll be working those muscles and changing your posture at the same time! Try working on your upper body while sitting in your car by following the alignment of your chest, shoulders and head. What a difference, right? Instead of slouching, sit up and "work it!" When you walk, just be aware of keeping your upper body open, yet held high. As you walk, imagine pushing your leg forward from behind your thighs rather than "dragging" them forward with your "quads." You'll work your tush while you walk.

The "Bottom" Line: How you stand, sit and walk can make a huge difference in the fitness of your body. And it can improve your confidence too! Stand tall, be confident. You'll be amazed at how small changes can make such a big difference in your life. Heck, I wrote a book where you make changes one way, one week at a time. Many of us just need to ease into a new way of being with baby steps. And those baby steps can change your life.