Stop right where you are!
Take a moment and notice how your body is positioned. Are you seated, standing or lying down reading this on a tablet?
Are you leaning to one side? Are your legs crossed? Are your feet in a position other than flat on the floor? {My right foot is currently perched on the rung of my chair as I type this.}
Where are your hands? Are you pressing the mouse button while you scroll down the page? How are your eyes? Are they at all strained from looking at very small font sizes on your smart phone or just staring at a computer screen all day?
Take a moment to scan your body right now and notice how you are positioned… right now.
Notice any areas that are stiff or uncomfortable, maybe even sore or painful.
Taking the time to become aware of how we hold ourselves and how we move and function throughout our day to day activities is the first step in addressing any problem areas.
I find after editing audio for a while that my head is craned forward and I’m hunched over. I need to move in ways that counteract that pattern or else I’ll really start to look like a hunchback.
My mom used to tell me my face would freeze when I made goofy faces. {I think I invented the photo bomb back in the 70’s.} In a way she was right. If I held it there long enough (a really long time) the muscles and tissue would basically get used to that position and hold it there. (Think frown lines) I go into more depth about how and why this happens in my post on the SAID Principal and Wolff’s Law.
If we repeatedly hold our bodies in a position for hours a day, our body adapts to that form. Over time the body makes changes and posture slumps. It starts slowly without our noticing it until we feel pain or some discomfort.
Take a moment after you read this post and take a short walk. Notice what you feel when you get out of the chair. Anything sore? Which foot do you step off with first? Do you have to move around something to get out of the room? What do you look at first when you walk out of the room? HOW are you moving? Stiffly?
Notice what your arms are doing as you walk. Are they swinging from your elbows or from your shoulders? Are they moving at all? Or is one arm sort of moving while you hold a cup of coffee or smart phone in the other hand? Do you carry a bag over your shoulder? Is it the same shoulder all the time?
Take the time to bring a level of consciousness to an activity most of us pay very little attention to – how we move. It all matters.
In my next post I will be doing a short video that demonstrates how poor movement in different parts of the body can lead to vocal tension and you’re probably not even aware of it.
Take the time to simply notice and become aware of your posture and spend 5 minutes walking and focusing on how you move. It’s important and I think you’ll find it interesting and you might learn something about yourself. It will be worth it. Trust me.
What areas give you the most trouble? Shoulders, lower back, elsewhere? Let me know.
