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By Vance Ferrigno, CSCS*D, Director of Wellness Exercise does many wonderful things to maintain our health, but as we age one of the most important issues we face is often overlooked—the effect that gravity has on our posture. Over time our bodies take on a forward-leaning posture, with rounded shoulders and spine, which causes degeneration and pain in our musculoskeletal system including the joints, muscles, ligaments, bursa and tendons. It also limits and affects the quality of our lives. Many believe this is a normal part of aging but this does not have to be true. Much of the “aging process” can be negated as our bodies deal with the effects of gravity and other forces. In order to deal with gravity we must keep a perfect blend of motion and stability of our musculoskeletal system.  Our muscles are arranged in patterns that take advantage of each joint’s range of motion.  A strong muscle with the proper range of motion can easily dissipate these forces and allow them to protect other body parts. These simple exercises will get you started: Standing with your left leg forward, right foot back and toes pointing straight ahead, reach as far down and forward as you can past your toes. Come back to the starting position and now reach just a few inches higher in the same manner. Think of the spokes on a bicycle wheel and act as if you are reaching down each spoke. Work your way back until you are reaching as far over and behind your head as you can. Repeat with your right leg forward. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, reach both arms to the left by bending to the side as far as you can in that direction. Keep your body squared so not to rotate. Again work your way around the spokes until you work your way as far as you can to the right and from the right side work your way again back to the left side. Repeat this sequence with your feet standing close together. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your toes pointed in, reach around your body in a twisting motion as far to the left as you can working your way to the right and again back to the left. Repeat sequence with your toes pointed out. Another important postural tip to keep in mind is anytime you are in an upright posture you need to keep your sternum (breast bone) up. This posture helps align your head over your shoulders, shoulders over your hips, hips over your knees and knees over your ankles. This is different than standing with your shoulders back. The shoulder back posture engages the muscles of the back to contract when they should be relaxed. The sternum up posture also increases your lung capacity as it takes the weight of the shoulders and head off the ribs allowing the lungs to fill completely. Stop by and visit your Cliffs Wellness professional for more information on how to slow the degenerative affects of poor posture.

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