Improve Your Posture

Exercises In Alignment:
These are simple powerful exercises to be practiced regularly, they can remake your posture. Start by doing a set of each exercise once a day for a week or two. Then bump up the frequency to three times a day, or whenever you feel your posture sagging.

Sit Up Straight: Remember that slouching and slumping doesn’t just look sloppy, it can cause arthritis and spondylitis. These are few steps to reinforce good posture: To avoid slumping, imagine a string attached to the top of your head, pulling it up towards the ceiling.
– Keep your knees relaxed when waiting in line at the movies or grocery store or even while brushing your teeth.
– Watch other people’s posture. It will help you become more conscious of your own.
Chin Glide: This subtle move counteracts neck craning. Bring your teeth gently together and slowly, softly glide your head backward (1/4 to 1 inch)- without tilting it, until you feel mild tension. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Hold for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 2 more times.
Mid-Back Makeover: Extend your arms out and up to shoulder height, bent at elbows with palms pointing up. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. You should feel a stretch along your chest and the front of your shoulders. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat it 5 times and if you feel a sharp pain, ease off until you feel only mild tension. If this hurts, hold your arms a bit lower, after doing this exercise a few weeks, gradually raise them.

Pelvic Tilt: This helps your pelvic to support your spine. Relax yourself hips first and protrude your buttocks a little. Place thumbs on lower ribs and fingers on hip bones. Tuck your buttocks under, so your hip bones line up under your lower ribs. Hold for 5 seconds, then repeat at least 3 times.
Cool Your Heels: Podiatrists have long warned women that high fashion in footwear comes with a high price. And with each added inch of stiletto heel, a woman teeters closer to a long list of painful and unsightly problems; hammer toes, calluses, and bunions, as well as backaches, sprained ankles, swollen knees, and tight Achilles tendons. But many women prefer fashion to comfort. They wont be caught flat footed when they are out and about.
– There are ways women can step out in style without suffering. For starters, you will get a more comfortable fit if you go shoe shopping at the end of the day when your feet are swollen.
– The taller and skinnier a heel gets, the more harmful it is to person. So go in for simple open toe style, that will put less strain on the toes.
– Try to save your highest high fashion heels for occasions that don’t require too much walking or standing around for hours on end.
– Finally, there is no such thing as breaking in a shoe. If it doesn’t feel good at the start, it won’t get any better later.

Damage Control: When a social occasion absolutely requires you wear high heels, try these easy stretches to avoid damage to your Achilles tendons, hamstrings, and calf muscles. Gently hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds.
For the Achilles tendon: Stand in a thrusting forward movement, with both hands against a wall and both heels on the ground. Keep your front leg bent and the back leg straight. Hold, then switch legs.
For the Calf: Place one foot on the first stair and bend the toe upward. Slowly reach for the top of the toes with both hands.
For the hamstrings: Cross one foot in front of the other and bend forward at the waist until you feel the pull. Switch legs and repeat.