You may have heard that certain retail establishments have installed cameras that distinguish gender and age to better understand who is coming into their store. Creepy, but that’s the world we live in. One of the ways the technology determines age is the person’s posture. Bad posture indicates a higher age. Besides the obvious detriment of bad posture to your spinal health, it is also communicating something to the reptilian part of the brains in the people on whom you want to make a good first impression. If you have a job interview coming up, of course you are thinking of your outfit — smart. But even more important is how you hold yourself. We humans are animals, and we are wired to respond to certain physical cues.
So, how is your posture? The easiest way to find out is to stand tall, heels against a wall, tuck your pelvis and push your head back so it touches the wall behind you. How does that feel? If it seems really odd, chances are you have some posture issues. How can you improve? If you are up for it, Pilates is great, even just the mat classes. You may also want some exercises to activate the lazy erector muscles in your back.
Xavier Quimbo, our go-to trainer for keeping us spry, recommends:
1. Plank
2. Bent over row
3. Y move
4. T move
With your back, use it or lose it.
