Stand up straight - thinking about alignment
Having a good posture is really important, but how many of us actually think about it and make moves to improve it?
Generally you will have one muscle that’s tight and the opposing muscle is weak, so it’s all about strengthening the weak muscle and stretching the tight one. More on that in a future article.
Muscle and ligament imbalances to lead to all sorts of issues - stiffness, aches, headaches, digestive problems, breathing problems etc. So lets try and fix it before you get those issues.
So, first check your current position. Stand barefoot in front of the mirror and without forcing yourself into what you think is correct, just close your eyes and march slowly on the spot a few seconds. Come to a stop and have a look at yourself. Even better have someone take a picture from the side, front and back.
Now to the tips for correct alignment (yes, it feels unnatural, but continue practicing and it will become more normal):
Feet hip distance
Outside edge of feet straight (not the inner side)
Knee caps forward (if they tilt inward a bit we have some more strengthening work to do!) and relax them
Pelvis in neutral with public bone flat and in line with hip bones (don’t jut hips forward or tuck the tail bone under)
Rib cage relaxed and dropped (no pushing shoulders back and chest out)
Arms relaxed by sides
Ear over shoulder (may need to push head back a bit)
Bodyweight equally distributed on ball, side and heel of foot
Try it out and let me know how you get on. Any pointers you need, just let me know