Lose Weight Immediately! – Well, At Least Look Like It!weight

Would you like to have a healthier body and look ten pounds thinner immediately?  Then listen to your mother. That’s right. How many times have our mothers told us to stand up straight . . . Too many to count? As always our mothers were right – correct posture will give us a pain-free spine and make us look slender.

Many of us don’t like to stand up straight because it feels painful and uncomfortable – this is because we don’t know the meaning of correct posture. Unless you’re in the Army, correct posture does not mean stiffening your spine, thrusting your chest up and out, and retracting your head back to your chest. Our spines have a natural ‘S’ shape that runs from the nape of the neck down to the gluteus maximus.

If you stand in front of a mirror, you’ll notice this shape. You’ll also be able to examine your own posture. Using a full-length mirror, try to align your ears, shoulders, and hips. Your ears should be above your shoulders and your shoulders should be above your hips. Notice how this makes a straight line, but the spine still keeps is natural ‘S’ curve. Proper posture should produce little if any pain.

To attain better posture during the day, you may also want to incorporate the following exercises into your workout. Lunges are excellent exercises for your posture. Performing these increases muscle tone in your gluteus, quadriceps, and hip flexor muscles, which are vital for excellent posture.

Dumbell Lunges Are Excellent For Your Posture

Dumbell Lunges Are Excellent For Your Posture

Basic Lunge with Weights

Holding five to ten pound dumbells on each side, step forward with one leg and place it on the ground will keeping your back foot still. Lower your middle by bending your knees, and keep your weight primarily on the heel of your front foot. Then step back into the starting position and repeat 10-20 times.

Curl

As you lunge, bend your arm at the elbows and raise your weights to chest height. Step back to the starting position and repeat 10-20 times.

Lunge and Rotate

Hold the weights in front of you at waist height keeping your elbows flexed and to your side. Rotate your trunk sideways as you lunge flexing your elbows ninety degrees, keeping the weights close to your abdomen. Repeat 10-20 times with each leg.

Here are two more exercises that are crucial for good posture. They are:

Trunk Curls

Lie down with your back on the floor, knees bent, and hands behind your head. Using your abdominal muscles, lift your pelvis off the floor and hold the stance for five seconds. Try not to strain your neck or lead with your head. Imagine touching the ceiling with your chest. Repeat five times.

Arm Raises / Leg Raises

Lie face-down on the floor, keeping your neck straight, legs extended, and arms straight overhead. Slowly raise your left arm and right leg about six inches off the ground. Hold for five seconds and lower. Repeat with the right arm and left leg.

Remember, poor posture can cause a host of problems. Aesthetically, poor posture makes you look shorter, older and plumper. Physically, it can wreak havoc – slouching makes your lungs work harder, compromising your respiratory function. Moreover, poor posture puts extra strain on the neck and spine, causing pain and discomfort. You’re never too old to listen to your mother.