The One-Minute Secret To Good Posture

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Exercise

Evidence-Based
4 min Read

As many of you know, it’s best not to sit down for long periods. Extended sitting can bring on a host of health problems, including weakened bones. But for some in the Save Our Bones community, sitting down for a large part of the day can’t be avoided. Some of you have jobs that require long hours in an office chair, while others may spend a lot of time at your home computer.

So today, I am going to tell you about a quick, effective stretch that can help offset the bone-damaging effects of sitting.

The Role of Posture in Your Bone Health

The damage done to your bones by sitting is compounded by sitting with poor posture.

First, sitting deprives your bones of weight-bearing exercise that is essential to healthy bone strength and density. When you sit for a long time, your bones receive no stimulation (good stress) to build themselves up.

Second, poor posture misaligns your bones so that the stress you put on them through lack of movement (bad stress) can result in painful misalignment that continues even after you stand up and move around. In fact, poor posture is associated with the development of Dowager’s Hump, or kyphosis.

Counteract the Effects of Sitting with This Simple Exercise

If you need to sit for an extended period of time, it’s important to keep your circulation going and your vertebrae aligned. It’s equally important to prevent the forward head posture that’s associated with slouching and kyphosis.

Periodically performing this stretch through your workday will do this and more.

Here’s how to do it:

Reverse-Arch Chair Stretch

Remember not to force this stretch to the point of pain or discomfort.

  1. Sit up straight on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor in front of you.
  2. Reach your hands behind you and grab the sides of your chair’s back. Your hands will be low, just above where the chair back meets the seat. Alternatively, you can place your hands palm-to-palm (with fingers interlaced) behind your lower back.
  3. Breathe deeply and arch your spine forward, pushing out your chest.
  4. Let your head fall back slowly to open up your neck and chest.
  5. Continue the stretch slowly, extending backwards as the front of your body opens up.
  6. Ideally, you should hold the stretch for 1 minute. But if you find that’s uncomfortable, hold it for as long as you can and gradually work up to the full minute.
  7. To come out of the stretch, slowly lift up your head and straighten your spine, then bring your hands forward.

This stretch can be performed multiple times a day to keep your blood flowing and your spine in alignment. In addition to stretching, your bones need regular exercise to stay strong and build density. This is one of the reasons why I created …

The Densercise eBook System

Densercise is the only exercise system that is specifically designed to increase bone density, and it doesn’t require any special equipment. The exercises in the program are easy to do but very effective, and you can do them anywhere. But that’s not all you get with this program.

Here are some other features of the Densercise eBook System:

  • The exercises take only 15 minutes a day, three days a week.
  • Densercise focuses specifically on strengthening the areas of the body that are prone to fracture, such the ankles, hips, and spine.
  • It’s entirely customizable; you can work at your own pace, and you can choose exercises that work within your fitness level.
  • “Densercises” are easy to work into your daily routine.
  • In addition to building bone density, the moves also promote balance and posture, crucial aspects of preventing fracture.
  • Densercise includes an online video collection that clarifies how to do each exercise, eliminating guesswork.

Densercise is especially effective when used in conjunction with the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, which provides detailed food lists to help you change from an acidifying diet to a bone-building, alkalizing one. A bone-healthy diet and regular, density-building exercise make the perfect combination for overcoming osteoporosis.

Please click here to learn more about the Densercise eBook System →