Along with
keeping your elbows off the table, you might remember all too well
that other mantra of the frustrated parent, ‘sit up
straight’. But if you couldn’t keep up the puffed-out
chest and soldier-stiff spine for more than five minutes,
don’t feel guilty.
It’s a long way from what is now considered to be good
posture anyway. ‘Correct posture comes not just from the
spine, but from having the entire body balanced, strong, supple and
aligned,’ says physiotherapist Sandra Noonan, from the Harley
Street Back Centre. ‘When your bones, joints, muscles and
ligaments are working as nature intended, you’ll spend less
time ‘fighting’ your own body and discover greater
energy, be less susceptible to pain and injury and enjoy greater
all-round health as your vital organs work more
efficiently.’
The back is a complex and highly efficient structure, with 24
separate vertebrae supported by tendons, ligaments and muscles
making it highly flexible and very strong. With all those delicate
parts involved in virtually every move we make, it’s
understandable that problems arise from time to time. But according
to studies conducted by Backcare, the national charity, the number
is way too high and rising. During one year almost half the adult
population of the UK (49%) report low back pain lasting for at
least 24 hours. Studies across Europe show that around 50% of
children have experienced back pain during the year, with recent
figures from France recording as many as four in five affected.
Prevention, not cure
Even if you’ve been lucky so far, the ‘if it
ain’t broke don’t fix it’ school of thought is
definitely not the one at which to enrol. A recent study from the
European Space Agency in Berlin shows that unused back muscles
actually ‘switch off’, resulting in pain and ill health
just as debilitating as a physical injury such as whiplash.
That’s why bed rest is not recommended for back pain, despite
the most recent survey, which shows that GPs still recommend it to
one in four patients who consult them about back pain.
‘The answer is to get moving, since exercise and weight
training strengthen back muscles,’ says Reebok master trainer
Steve Barrett. ‘But the real key to preventing back pain in
the long term is to work on developing your core muscles, the
network of inner-linked muscles located deep in the centre of your
trunk which form a natural corset and stabilise the mid section of
the body.’ This is why the term ‘core stability’
has now become such a buzzword in fitness. Having toned abdominal
muscles is not just about showing off your six-pack, but supporting
and protecting your spine, and developing the muscles around the
pelvis and lower back which will enable you to maintain good
posture with minimal effort.
In the box below are three simple exercises to try. Start with ten
repetitions of each every other day, building up to three sets of
ten three times a week:
Treatments and therapies
There are a number of highly effective techniques which specially
focus on improving posture and body alignment.
Yoga
‘The state of our minds and our bodies is intimately
linked,’ explains Ken Simmons, former chairman of The British
Wheel of Yoga. ‘If your muscles are relaxed, then your mind
is also relaxed. But if you’re like most people and your mind
is anxious, your body suffers too.’ As a result of chronic
stress, many people spend much of their life in a state of physical
and mental tension, which not only gives rise to ailments such as a
clenched jaw and a stiff neck, but also it affects the way in which
we hold ourselves and develop our posture. Yoga poses encourage
good posture and strength as well as developing body awareness
through breathing and relaxation techniques.
The British Wheel of Yoga, telephone 01529 306851 www.bwy.org.uk
The Alexander Technique
Devised by Frederick Matthias Alexander, an Australian actor who
suffered stress-induced breathing problems, this method consists of
re-educating the body to achieve postural harmony. Nowadays the
most common reasons people take it up are back and joint problems.
Sessions are soothing and calming, so don’t expect to get
sweaty. A teacher will assess your posture and how you move about
then, over a number of lessons, you will be re educated in how to
sit and move in a balanced, co-ordinated and
‘back-friendly’ way1.
The Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, telephone
0845 230 7828 www.stat.org.uk
Pilates
A no-sweat series of exercises that improve posture, muscle tone
and strength, helping you get to know how different muscles work
and honing your ability to create a lean, healthy and tall body.
One of its leading principles is alignment, which you gradually
develop by becoming constantly aware of how to stand, sit, lie and
move correctly.
The Body Control Pilates Association, telephone 020 7379 3734
www.bodycontrol.co.uk
Chiropractic and osteopathy
These are often confused: both treatments involve manipulation of
the body. Chiropractic tends to be more mechanistic in its
approach, with emphasis on the spine as the major support
structure. Osteopaths take a more holistic approach and will
explore a patient’s lifestyle, habits and mental and
emotional health to find reasons for musculo-skeletal problems.
While chiropractors tend to make more use of X-rays, osteopaths
traditionally use more soft-tissue manipulation although the
distinction is becoming blurred and it’s largely down to each
practitioner’s individual technique.
Research shows that chiropractic is an efficient and cost-effective
treatment for acute lower-back pain. Trials published in the
British Medical Journal showed patients improved better with
chiropractic than with hospital outpatient care and it is now
widely available on the NHS.
British Chiropractic Association, telephone 0118 950 5950
www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk
General Osteopathic Council, telephone 0207 357 6655 www.osteopathy.org.uk
Posture checklist
1. Pelvic
tilt: Lie flat on your back with your hands behind your
head. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Press
your lower back into the floor while pulling up and in with the
muscles of the lower abdomen. Hold the contracted position for
three seconds, relax and rest for three seconds.
2. Inverted rocker: Lie face down on the floor.
Keep your arms at your sides and your palms up. Tuck your chin in
and squeeze your buttocks together. Lift your head and shoulders
off the floor (keeping your chin tucked in) and squeeze shoulder
blades together. Rotate your hands outward until your thumbs point
up. Hold that position for ten seconds and relax for ten
seconds.
3. Alternate leg and arm lift: Lie face down on
the floor, with your left hand by your side and right hand extended
in front of you at a 45-degree angle. Tuck your chin in and squeeze
your buttocks together. Raise your right arm and your left leg
simultaneously as high as you can. Hold for a count of ten and
relax
for a count of ten. Perform the same movement using your left arm
and right leg.
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