Evergreen Chiropractic

Posture:

Listen in as Mary Bond and Jason C. Steinle discuss key aspects of posture. You will learn practical tips for correcting and improving your posture.

Mary is the author of The New Rules of Posture. Her writings and work have been featured in The Washington Post, Body and Soul Magazine and on Oprah.com. She lives in California and leads workshops around the United States.

To learn more about Mary’s book click here.

Jason C. Steinle is the host of The Steinle Show and is a Doctor of Chiropractic at Health and Harmony Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Evergreen, Colorado.

Like what you hear? Check out our other podcasts at www.awakeningpotential.com/blog and www.uploadexperience.com/blog

Health and Harmony Chiropractic / Evergreen / Colorado / 303-670-1001

 

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Ergonomics and Chiropractic:

Joseph Sweere, DC discusses with Jason C. Steinle, DC proper ergonomics in the work place. Topics discussed include: 1. Picking a desk chair 2. Setting up your monitor 3. Keyboard height 4. Leg position

Dr. Sweere is a professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minneapolis, MN and he is the author of Golden Rules for Vibrant Health in Body, Mind, and Spirit.

To learn more about the book at Amazon.com click here . 

Jason C. Steinle is a Doctor of Chiropractic at Health and Harmony Chiropractic in Evergreen, Colorado. He may be reached at Health and Harmony by calling 303 670-1001

Health and Harmony Chiropractic/ 1202 Bergen Parkway / Suite 206 / Evergreen, CO 80439

 

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“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Gahndi

You want it, right? Whether it’s peace of mind, peace on earth, or peace and quiet…no matter how you package it…peace is popular.

So where should you start?

Peace begins with your self. If you want change…be change.

Sure it’s easier said than done. We live in a fast paced world. One with instant messages, instant meals, and instant coffee, but still it’s possible to change. The quickest way to shift from overload to peace is by altering the body.

No, I don’t mean a new belly button ring or tattoo. Instead, shift your body from “fight or flight” into a state of “rest and recovery”.

Here’s how it works. Your body triggers the same alert messages whether you are being chased by a bear, or are worried about your mortgage.

Your heart races. Your breathing becomes shallow. Your digestive system shuts down. Your five senses are focused on survival. These responses are great for escaping from a bear, but they are poor strategies for dealing with long term stresses like mortgages, world affairs, and relationship issues. Instead of running from the bear and then recovering, your body continues to stay in a heightened state until you burn out. This is one of the reasons exercise is so valuable for peace of mind. When you go for a walk, swim or mountain bike your body is getting a chance to physically release from the fight or flight state it is in.

Another secret is to take deep breaths. I’m sure you’ve heard that before, but do you know why?

Your breathing rate is controlled by your autonomic nervous system. When you are in a state of survival your breathing becomes shallow and quickens. However, unlike you heart rate and digestive rate you also have the ability to control your breathing. When you consciously take slow deep breaths you instantly shift your nervous system and body from a survival state into a peaceful one.

A third technique you can use to instantly create peace is to stand up straight and let your shoulders relax down and back. When you are stressed your shoulders tend to raise-up by your ears as your head tips forward. This is the same stance a boxer takes as he prepares to fight.

Simply squeezing your shoulders up and then letting them fall down and back will take you out of the fighter’s stance and put you into a relaxed, upright posture.

I’ll be the first to admit that these three exercises are very simple, yet each one works on the nervous system in a different way. Put them to use and you’ll experience that the simplest things in life are often the most powerful…just like peace itself.

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“Your body, mind and spirit are reflected in your posture.”
Joseph Sweere D.C., author of Golden Rules for Vibrant Health

Okay, you’ve probably heard the expression, “He’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders,” or “She gets all bent out of shape.”

It’s interesting how we use words like crooked, deranged and demented to describe unhealthy individuals, and at the same time we use words like poised, balanced and centered to describe wholesome, healthy people.

Have you ever stopped and wondered why?

The answer may surprise you. It’s because your posture is a reflection of your health. For example, if you are stressed or depressed you typically walk with your shoulders rounded and your head hanging low. On the other hand, if you feel great you walk with your body very upright and erect.

This is where it gets interesting. You can improve your health by improving your posture. As Joseph Sweere, a professor at Northwestern Health Science University, told me in an interview, “Posture can and does have an influence on the function of the nervous system, and your nervous system influences every tissue in your body.”

Simply put, if you carry yourself as if you’ve been beat up by life then your nervous system and tissues respond by going into a state of fight-or-flight. This survival response is a good short term strategy, but long term leads to heart disease, digestive disorders, insomnia, fatigue and a lowered resistance to disease.

The good news is that as you change your posture you change your health. Just try it. Next time you are tired or depressed try straightening up, taking a few deep breaths and you’ll likely notice the fatigue diminishing. It’s hard to be fatigued when you carry yourself upright.

So how can you start making improvements in your daily posture? Start with these three posture tips:

Adjust the rear view mirrors in your car so that you have to sit upright in order to use them properly.

Place items you commonly use in the kitchen (or popular clothes in your closet) in draws and shelves that don’t require you to constantly slouch down to get them.

Avoid working on a laptop computer for long periods. If you do use one, place the computer on a platform (even a stack of telephone books) to raise the monitor to eye level and then use an external keyboard and mouse.

These tips are great starters for improving your posture. Good luck on your journey to a more upright you in 2007.

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Jason C. Steinle is a chiropractor at Health and Harmony Chiropractic, PC in Evergreen, CO 303 670 1001, the host of The Steinle Show talk radio program, and author of Upload Experience: Quarterlife Solutions which is available at HearthFire Books and http://www.uploadexperience.com/.

Our bodies are designed to get stronger. It’s a remarkable process if you think about it.

Right…

You or I can go to the gym, stress our muscles and if done properly our bodies bounce back with increased strength, endurance, coordination and flexibility. The physical exertion doesn’t break us down but rather stimulates improvements.

Errors

But as often said…just because a little is good…it doesn’t mean a lot is better.

On the flip side we can overload our bodies and cause injuries. This most commonly occurs with one or more of the following exercise errors.

1. Postural Imbalance- poor body posture and mechanics are amplified when doing exercise.

2. Misalignment- subtler subluxations—misalignments—in the spine and extremities throw off proper exercise form and lead to problems.

3. Movement Restrictions- guarded and restricted movement leads to compensation patterns where other parts of the body are called to do more work than usual.

Solutions

The primary preventative measure is to reinforce proper alignment, flexibility and body mechanics. This varies from person to person and is one of the focuses of Health and Harmony Chiropractic. We help improve body posture and provide guidance on how to maintain proper mechanics while exercising.

Addition variables that you can control while working out involve the Five R’s

1. Rest- Allow adequate time for the body to recuperate before the next work out

2. Range- Perform exercises and stretches within a range of motion that your body permits without causing pain

3. Rate- Slowing down the rate of your exercise routine (weight lifting) allows for more recovery between sets and will help you avoid biomechanical mistakes that often occur when rushing through a work out

4. Resistance- Overloading the muscles can cause stress injuries and is often associated with poor biomechanics

5. Repetition- Just like resistance…if done correctly it will improve your function…if overdone it will set you back with injuries.

Get your posture evaluated and corrected…and watch the 5 R’s when working out. These simple steps go a long way in preventing exercise injuries.

Jason Steinle, DC
Health and Harmony Chiropractic Office
http://www.awakeningpotential.com/
303 670 1001

It may surprise you to know that sitting…yes sitting…is one of the hardest activities on the back. Poor posture when sitting in front of a computer places more strain on the low back than walking or standing. And…its not only the low back that takes a hit when logging time at a computer. Your neck, shoulders, wrists, forearms and thoracic spine also get feel the effects.

Here is a link to an excellent summary of basic steps you can take to reduce injuries and strain at work. http://www.maximumpc.com/2006/03/outfit_your_wor.html

I like this article because it summarizes both in words and with pictures steps you can take today to make your workstation more ergonomically friendly.

If you are not familiar with the term ergonomic. It is the science of equipment design intended to maximize productivity and reduce fatigue and discomfort at the workplace. Stated simpler it’s the study of how to reduce injuries at work.

Enjoy the article and feel welcome to contact Health and Harmony Chiropractic and Wellness Center of Evergreen, Colorado with any questions.

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Jason C. Steinle is a chiropractor in Evergreen, CO

Health and Harmony Chiropractic and Wellness Center provides chiropractic care for Evergreen, Genesse, Conifer, Golden, Lakewood, Denver, Morrison, Idaho Springs, Lookout Mountain, and Georgetown, CO.

Here is an excellent article which discusses the difference between doing core stabilization exercises and traditional crunches.Want a Flat Stomach?OC Metro Thursday Feb 16

As you read through the article make note of the “transverse abdominus” discussion. Here is an excerpt.

Twenty-nine muscles make up the core, from the diaphragm to the pelvic floor. Forming a network of interactive stabilizers, they support the spine like a corset. The deepest of the abdominal muscles and the center of the core, the “transverse abdominus,” or TA, wraps around the pelvis just below the rib cage. All movements originate from the core, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as the “powerhouse.” The TA plays a major supporting role in sports activities. “Whenever a person hits a tennis ball or swings a golf club, the TA is the first muscle to fire,” says Jennifer Hibl, owner of South County Physical Therapy and Pilates. “If it’s weak, other muscles take over to compensate, and that’s where you have problems and imbalances.”

The article points out the importance of core strength in movement and performance. What the article does not mention that is equally important is the role that the transverse abdominus and the other core muscles play in posture.

Weakness to the core muscles allows the pelvis to tilt forward which leads to a sway back and knock-kneed posture. If you have any questions about the exercises the article explains or additional core strengthening exercises please contact Health and Harmony, PC. Our number is 303 670 1001.

by Jason Steinle, Doctor of Chiropractic
Jason Steinle is a Chiropractor serving Evergreen and surroundings areas. You may contact him at Health and Harmony, PC.

I just discovered the following article on the relationship between posture and self-esteem at Diagnose Me.com “While poor self-esteem can contribute to poor posture, the idea that improving posture can improve self-esteem is surprising to some people. Citing his recent posture study of five women between the ages of 20 and 50, Aaron Parnell, a personal trainer, concludes that poor posture can lock negative emotions in the body. “Good posture emanates positive feelings in personal strength and self awareness, which leads to more self confidence.”After the women went through a series of specific body restructuring treatments to improve their posture, all of them showed remarkable differences in their self-esteem. Most of the women were expecting the body treatments, which use certain stretching and breathing techniques, to release tension and straighten-out their bodies. None realized it would affect their self-esteem. 100% reported they were much more bold and willing to take risks at work. 80% said they had more energy and were jumping out of bed in the mornings. 60% said their bodies were looking and feeling more feminine. All of them volunteered that they were more self-accepting now that they were in touch with their bodies; they felt more comfortable with who they were.See a posture specialist, chiropractor, yoga teacher or deep tissue body worker to help undo years of poor posture habits. While it is becoming clear that posture and self-esteem directly influence each other, more study needs to be done on the connection between posture improvement and self-esteem enhancement.”Here is the link:

http://www.diagnose-me.com/treat/T398161.htmlWhile the cited “study” was limited to five people I have seen the same trend at Health and Harmony Chiropractic.

As posture improvements occur I have witnessed clients:

- ask for raises at work
- start and follow through with successful weightloss
- end relationships that were destructive
- take the initiative to ask people out they admired
- stop smoking
- start college courses towards new careers
- take their first real vacation
- re-establish relationships with family and friends
- begun reading personal development books
- join gym and yoga studios
- remodel their homes
- change their wardrobe and hairstyle
- laugh more often
- volunteer in the community
- try new activies (snowboarding, sky diving, Toastmasters, meditation)
- become more outgoing
- host and entertain at their home frequently
- look forward to class reunions and social events

For more information about Health and Harmony Chiropractic office please visit www.awakeningpotential.com or call 303 670 1001