Why posture matters & how to improve yours

Good posture has so many important benefits. It’s not only better for your spinal health, it radiates confidence and power, and has been proven to improve the success of negotiations.

If you have a desk job, sitting in a chair for 8 hours leaves almost everyone slumping at 5pm. Then you’re expected to stand elegantly at after-work drinks or walk home, ridden with fatigue.

You can have better posture in just one week though. It all comes down to spinal stability and your core. As a Physio, I’ve had so many patients ask me how to get good posture, so I devised 4 simple steps:

4 ways to get perfect posture

1. Draw your chin back

Why

A pointed chin brings your neck forward, pulling on the muscles of the neck and shoulders. To compensate for the forward weight shift, your upper back slouches into a kyphosis when you sit. When you’re standing, the effects travel down to your pelvis, and your lower back sways to counterbalance the forward weight shift in your head. 

How

• Sit or stand tall with your hands together as though you’re praying. 
• Let your fingertips lightly tough the bottom of your chin
• Without lifting your chin off your fingertips, draw your chin back into yourself as through you’re making a double chin.
• Relax a little (because that’s not a good look) and find a point where you’re about to make a double chin but are just a millimetre off- that’s where you want your neck to be.

2. Draw your shoulder blades down and back

Why

The old ‘shoulders back’ mantra doesn’t work - so focus on drawing your shoulder blades gently down and back. The muscles that do this are slow twitch, meaning you only need to slowly and gently activate them, not pull them quickly like you would for a bicep curl.

How

• Sitting or standing, gently imagine you’re gripping an orange between your shoulder blades in the middle of your back - this is where you want your shoulder blades to sit.
• This movement is the same as the end of an upright row you might do at the gym

*If you get a burning pain in your mid back at work, try drawing your shoulder blades down and back, hold for 5 seconds, and relax. Repeat this 10 times every time you check your Instagram and your postural muscles will get stronger and your pain will disappear!

3. Lower your ribcage

Why

Puffing up your rib cage puts pressure on your mid back where your ribs join your spine, plus it looks pretty awkward. By lowering the rib cage flush against your tummy, your spine will be in a better position, and you’ll be sitting or standing taller.

How

• Sitting or standing, place your hand on your ribs, just underneath the underwire of your bra
• Add gentle pressure through your palm and feel your rib cage gently soften into your torso - this is the ideal position for your ribcage

4. Tuck your tailbone

Why

We’re all guilty of letting our back sway when we sit or stand, but this position can lead to lower back pain. When you gently tuck your tailbone under by using your deep abdominals, your spine sits in a nice, neutral position without stressing your lower back vertebrae and nerves.

How

• Sitting or standing tall, place one hand in the small of your back and one hand on your lower abs
• Now imagine a skewer through your pelvis - you’re going to rotate around the skewer
• Gently push with both hands, feel your lower abs tighten, and the sway in your back diminish

Common Questions about Posture

1. Should I sit on a swiss ball at my desk?

You can, but you can still have poor posture on these balls. Plus, when you’re tired there’s no support for your spine. If you really want to use one, I suggest alternating between a good, supportive desk chair and a fit ball every hour or two. Ditch the swiss ball around the 3pm slump.

2. Are heels bad for my posture?

No, but they can increase the sway in your lower back putting pressure on your spine if your core isn’t strong enough. If you can hold position 4 of the posture tips, you’ll be fine!

3. How should I sit at my desk?

A good desk chair is designed to support your spine. Sit with you butt all the way back in the chair, sit up tall so your entire spine is resting on the back rest, and push your chair in all the way under your desk until you’re comfortable. Sitting forward in a chair, or far away from your desk encourages bad posture and leads to back pain.

4. What’s the best workout to improve my posture?

Pilates, Barre and dance will help your posture improve. They emphasise good spinal stability and elongation of the spine, so you’ll be standing taller in no time.

Next time you're sitting at your desk, try these 4 postural tips to radiate more confidence and protect your spine. Good luck!

“A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind.” - Morihei Ueshiba

What a Tibetan Monk taught me about Wellness

I’m no expert on Buddhism, but something about the inherent philosophies of the Eastern religion resonates with my holistic view on health and wellness. I’ve been to a handful of Dharma chats by Buddhist monks in Asia, and am always captivated by their jovial spirits and useful lessons.

Recently I attended a talk by The Fifth Amnyi Trulchung Rinpoche, a visiting Buddhist monk from Tibet, passionate to help make people live happier lives. While I believe wellness has its roots in a range of philosophies and schools including medicine, naturopathy, meditation, neurology and sports science, I’m confident this clever man’s lessons can apply to everyone in their business and personal lives.

1. Spend most of your time on goals that are important to you

The visiting monk told us a story from Buddhist text about a man who was trying to rub down a steel pipe to make a needle. He was so obsessed with it, he wouldn’t stop and realise how frivolous it was - he would never get it down to the size of a needle in his lifetime. This man's main life goal was to improve his meditation, but he spent almost all his time trying to make this needle. I was told this applies to everyone: If you have a goal - something you want to improve - spend all your time on that. Don’t let trivial, meaningless things get in the way of your goal because it’s so easy to get distracted. And I'll bet the man in the story didn't have the distraction of social media like we do now!

This applies to wellness: If you want to lose weight and be fitter, devote your time to working out, even if it's just a walk around the block. Instead of checking your social media and spending two hours a day watching reality TV, you can devote this time to your goal so you achieve it faster. It's hard but worth it!

2. Don’t just focus on results, engage in the journey

It's like the old "it's about the journey not the destination" saying. Amnyi Trulchung Rinpoche told us too many people focus on the results of something, instead of the practice itself. He said if they immediately transfer their energy from the outcome to the practice, the practice immediately gets better. In the end then too, the outcome is better! While he was talking about getting better at meditation, this philosophy works for any skill and any business. 

This applies to wellness: If you want to eat better, instead of spending ten minutes lamenting your weight on the scales and berating yourself over the brownie you ate at lunch - redirect that energy to sourcing local produce and healthy recipes. Take time and pride in creating healthy, nutritious-filled dishes and you’ll find you’ll eat better overall. Plus! It’s much better to spend your energy on something positive rather than negative - your self esteem will thank you for it.

3. Wake up with happy thoughts

Everyday, Amnyi Trulchung Rinpoche wakes up and says to himself he hopes every sentient being lives happily and healthily and without suffering. He told us he knows this doesn’t mean every living thing in the world will have the best day ever! But he said waking up with a positive mindset and wishing others and yourself well is a really useful way to start the day - and it lingers throughout the day.

This applies to wellness: If you’ve ever been to yoga, you know some instructors will finish the lesson with a similar statement, before the requisite “Namaste.”Rather than waiting until yoga, try and think a positive thought first thing every morning. It can help you start the day in a positive mindset, and better prepares you to combat stress throughout that day.

4. Don't disregard people because they live differently to you

During the session, this charming monk told us about a monk who was famous in Tibet in the 1950's. He was dismissed by Tibetan society and officials for being a disloyal monk because he drank and smoked occasionally, and even had girlfriends. Unfortunately though, he was also incredibly clever, and was one of the few prominent men in the country who spoke English. At a time when a seat at the UN could have determined Tibet's future, the one man who spoke English and would have been the ideal choice was shunned by his country. The monk told us the seat at the UN remained empty, and we all know what happened next. 

This applies to wellness: Different therapies, techniques and philosophies appeal to different people, and just because you may not agree that Bikram yoga is worthwhile, someone else will think it's great! And plenty do. Wellness is about promoting mind and body wellbeing, so rather than dismiss other schools of thought, see what you can learn from them.

As a Physio I have a medical background and used to be cynical about some alternative therapies, but I can't tell you how many patients have seen incredible results from them that no other therapy or pill could provide. One woman was cured of chronic anxiety after a number of sessions of Bowen therapy. You never know what you could learn, so keep your heart open to hearing about different people's wellness goals.

I’m no expert, but I know wellness is multi-faceted. If we can all integrate mindfulness to make clearer, better decisions about how we spend our time, who we spend it with, and what our goals are - we’re one step closer to living well! 

What have you learned from someone that has helped you come closer to your wellness goals?

Get a Wellness Program for your Business Today

Get a Wellness Program for your Business Today

Exciting news!

Spa Wellness has invited me to join their exclusive list of holistic experts

The brilliant team at Spa Wellness have included me, Caitlin Reid, in their portfolio of holistic experts and I'm thrilled!

What does being a holistic expert mean? 

It means I'm featured alongside some incredible healers and holistic therapists. I'm so honoured to be included with these wonderful experts.

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I'm thrilled to be included in this list of experts, and would love to hear from you about how I can help you create movement therapy programs for you luxury retreat or hotel. 

• I can work with you to create a movement therapy program to suit your clientele, from an exclusive in-room workout for luxury hotels to a water therapy fitness program at a beach retreat.

• I also help train fitness professionals and massage therapists on the newest innovations in the industry.

Get a yoga/Pilates/fitness program for you retreat today

Yes I need Wellness Consulting Services now

Aprivé Wellness Writes for Hip & Healthy UK

Hip & Healthy UK is a beautiful online wellness magazine - and they asked Aprivé Wellness to write some expert articles.

The 10 Minute Workout To Ease Lower Back Pain

If you’re desk-bound most of the day, chances are you’ve experienced lower back pain. Check out these simple exercises to help ease discomfort in this area and enhance your workday. You can even do some of them right at your desk!

*Please remember, this article doesn’t address all low back pain conditions, and always see a good Physiotherapist in conjunction with this advice.

Sitting and Our Spines

Our spines aren’t designed for a sedentary lifestyle, so sitting at a desk all day plays havoc on our lower backs, particularly when we have bad posture (which we can all be guilty of at 3pm!) Long periods of sitting puts pressure on the lumbar spine when unsupported and tightens the hip muscles, pulling the pelvis into a forward position, increasing the arch of the lower back and causing it to sway. A sway back is a vulnerable position for our spines, and causes pain that can become unbearable after a long day at a desk.

Instead of reaching for the painkillers, try this simple workout to ease your low back pain:

Read the full article here

Aprivé Wellness Goes to Nugget Point Spa

Mountain-top luxury wellness in Queenstown

Perched high above the Shotover River in stunning Queenstown, New Zealand, is Nugget Point Spa. This boutique hotel's luxury wellness includes a Greecian-inspired spa facility for the ultimate day of relaxation.

Luxury Wellness for Real Relaxation

Choose a massage, manicure or pedicure and spend the rest of your afternoon relaxing in this beautifully-styled spa. Slowly sauntering between each water feature, it was the ultimate Sunday afternoon! Try one or all of their features:

• Hot Tub

• Cool pool

• Steam Room

• Sauna

• Rain showers

A Luxury Spa for Aprés Ski

Nugget Point is a 2 minute drive from the base of Coronet Peak, one of New Zealand's favourite family ski resorts. Needing no more than your swim suit and a good book or magazine, Nugget Point Spa is the perfect post-skiing pit stop before you head into Queenstown for a meal. 

This view makes your wellness experience that much more special as you realise how truly remote you are. So far from your office and commitments, lie down in the sauna and take a deep breath. The sauna was my favourite feature, closely followed by a cooling swim in the mosaic pool.

Treats & Boutique Accommodation for a Real Escape

Nugget Point also boasts stunning boutique accommodation and a beautiful restaurant for those looking to stay as close to this beautiful spa as possible.  They even offer discounts for Queenstown locals, including a local's brunch.

I had such a truly rejuvenating and relaxing afternoon at the beautiful spa, I can't recommend it enough.

My dress is by Bali-based label Mr Zimi

Stay tuned for my next luxury spa review....

Wellness Consulting - Creating health and fitness content from industry experience

Why Runners Get Achilles Tendon Injuries

Running content and commerce hub Running Divas asked Aprivé Wellness for some expert health and fitness content about Achilles Tendon injuries:

Not many medical terms for muscles and tendons are well known, but the Achilles is one of the famous few. Achilles tendon injuries in runners are fairly common but the reasons why they occur are still poorly understood. To understand achilles injury, let’s start from the beginning.

What is the Achilles?

The Achilles is a tendon the spans from the middle of the two Gastrocnemius heads (bulky calf muscle) and attaches onto the heel bone.

What makes you likely to injure your Achilles?

The jury is still out on this one. When it comes to running, it comes down to technique and the biomechanics of your feet and ankle joints. As Achilles tendon injuries are multi-factorial, there are countless biomechanics factors that come into play including ground reaction forces, muscle activity and joint motion.

Only one biomechanics variable has been shown to definitely increase Achilles injury risk:

-High braking force placed on the achilles tendon

Other factors that may contribute:

- Low arches

- Running on soft surfaces

- Poor ankle range of motion

How do you know if you’ve injured your Achilles?

If you’ve ruptured your Achilles, you’ll know! Often patients hear a loud crack, and the tendon can be seen under the skin, recoiled halfway up the calf like a retracted rubber band.

An overuse injury or tendinopathy isn’t as obvious, but patients report pain on walking, particularly on the push-off phase, pain with calf raises, steps and often pain when touching the tendon. Your physio will often feel a difference in the consistency of the injured tendon: Often it will feel lumpy and thicker than the uninjured side.

*To read the full article - Click Here

Image: Mark J Sebastian