Keep your spine healthy: Get rid of bad postures

A wrong body posture can predispose people towards aches and pain, but it's never too late to work towards correcting one's pose and keeping the spine healthy.



Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or laying down. Good posture involves training the body to stand, walk, sit, and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments.

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia's Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Dr. Greg Thielman has now offered simple exercises and solutions to improve the posture, and keep aches and pains at bay.

"Poor posture can lead to loss of shoulder motion, chronic pain, walking deficits, neck-related headaches, the inability to exercise, and more," said Thielman.

He added: "However, aside from contributing to a good appearance, the long-term benefits of proper posture include helping to decrease abnormal wearing of joint surfaces, lessening stress on the ligaments of the spine, preventing the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions, and preventing backache and muscular pain."





Thielman shared the following exercises and tips to help you keep your spine healthy:

Evaluate your workstations

A workstation is anywhere that an individual spends a sizeable amount of time daily and for many of us, our primary workstation is our desk.

"If you're sitting, don't drop a ton of money on an ergonomic chair. Instead, position the chair to provide lumbar, shoulder, and if needed, head support,'' said Thielman.





Perform daily exercises

Thielman has recommended regularly exercising the large muscles on the front and back of the thigh, the abdominal muscles, and performing three exercises daily:

Pelvic tilt: "While sitting, push your pelvis back into the chair, hold it for three seconds and then relax. This tightens and strengthens your abdominal muscles," explained Thielman.

Chin tucks: "Also while sitting, put your pointer finger on your chin and push straight back. Be sure your head isn't tilted up or down and this exercise will realign your spine and combat forward head position," said Thielman.

Lean back: "Lastly, most of what we perform at our workstation forces us anterior, so we're constantly bending forward. To straighten the spine, stand-up, put your hands on your lower back, and lean back. This exercise combats the effects of being in a forward position," said Thielman.




Invest in supportive shoes

Stiletto heels may look good, but Thielman has warned that they don't do women any favours in the posture department.

"There is no such thing as a good high-heel shoe." Shoes that cover the top of the foot are ideal. "Each brand fits differently, but the key is to find one that works for you and that gives the much-needed overall support," said Thielman.

Thielman also cautioned against carrying backpacks that weigh more than 20 pounds, attempting to lift objects that are too heavy, and repetitively making the same moves without taking frequent breaks.

In his opinion, any one of these actions encourage the forward leaning motion that causes poor posture and back problems.




"A common misconception about good posture is that it can be maintained by only doing occasional strength training. Good posture is more than just standing-up straight and holding your shoulders back, and if you don't have the muscle strength, you aren't going to be able to hold that posture for very long. By maintaining your strength and being consciously aware of your posture, you can maintain proper posture and mobility well into your mid-60s, before the natural onset of ageing," he said.

Source: Circle2Corner.com

Plyometric exercises short and effective

Is your body refusing to shed those last inches and kilos? Do you want to enhance the performance of your body? Fitness experts say you can opt for short and effective plyometric exercises for desired results.



Plyometric is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements and improve the functions of the nervous system. It is generally used for improving performance in sports.

According to Delhi-based fitness trainer Aashu, this regime is best used to burn maximum calories in minimum time.

"The amount of calories you would be burning in a one-hour workout, with plyometrics you can burn in just 30 minutes," Aashu told IANS.

"So one can easily burn 400-600 calories in a session of 40-50 minutes," he added.

The exercise regime uses explosive movements to develop muscular power and is mostly done by athletes.



"Plyometric training acts on the nerves, muscles, and tendons to increase an athlete's power output without necessarily increasing their maximum strength capacity," said Nicholas Kraal, business development manager, True Fitness India.

"In this, muscular contractions happen in a very short period of time, compared to conventional weight training exercises," he added.

And if you are one aiming for weight-loss results, Huzefa Lokhandwala, training manager of Gold's Gym India, believes one can get maximum results by performing this activity at least twice a week.

"This exercise challenges your muscular strength and endurance which are the two vital components of physical fitness, thus boosting your metabolism resulting in fat loss," he said.



"To some extent it also challenges your heart and lungs, thus improving your cardiovascular efficiency and improving your posture as well," he added.

Plyometrics workout is injury-prone and involves a lot of power moments - like throw further, jump higher, hit harder and so on.

Hence experts suggest that one should do this workout under proper guidance.

"The intensity of the movements may cause stress on the knee and ankle joints. There are also high chances of muscular pull or strain if a good warm-up is not done properly," said Kraal.

"The key to plyometrics training is the application of proper technique and adhering to safety precautions," he added.



So, if you are planning to join a class soon, Lokhandwala has suggestions for people who should stay away from this exercise.

"People with joint problems like knee, hips, ankle should avoid these exercises where the impact of explosive movements will put a heavy toll on their joints," he said.

"One should consult one's physician or personal trainer before starting this plyometric exercise. People who are 50 years old and above are not recommended to do this exercise, but there could be an exception if they are living a healthy lifestyle and having a good fitness level."

"People suffering from high blood pressure and heart-related problems should avoid it," he added.

So, if you want to increase muscular power, have better agility and improve muscular balance, go for plyometrics.

Source: Shilpa Raina