99% of All Posture Correction Solutions Actually Make Things Worse
Posted by admin on May 3, 2009
One of the most painful things I hear people say is, “My bad posture is hereditary. My parents had bad posture, so did their parents, and so I have bad posture too. I guess I’m just stuck with it”.
To me these words sound like fingers scraping on a blackboard as they represent unnecessary hopeless that is all too common these days. This theory of inheriting bad posture is completely untrue, so why do so many back pain sufferers believe in it?
The answer is simply that doctors are failing to help people with postural problems. So much trust is put into our doctors, that when they can’t help us, we often give up all hope. What most people don’t realise is that doctors aren’t really experts on posture. At the time of writing a report has just been released that says, “Doctors are failing to treat four in five Australians who suffer from back pain.”
What back pain sufferers have to realise is that posture correction is the Achilles heel of the medical profession.
So if doctors aren’t qualified to help with poor posture, who are?
Answer: Teachers of the Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique is the best way to improve posture…. period. This statement was recently supported in a British Medical Journal Study.
The crucial first step in successfully correcting posture is to check out an excellent DVD on the subject: -
Posture Correction DVD with William Hurt
This DVD is the best posture correction product I yet have seen anywhere, as it really opens up a whole new world of solutions. The video runs for 75 minutes, but here’s a quick sample:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgplXmILzoQ
One person who reviewed this product said, “I feel this DVD is absolutely fantastic !!! If I could give 6 stars I would”. More feedback can be found on the VHS version here: -
The Alexander Technique DVD – User Feedback
Improve Posture By Utilizing Your Skeleton Instead of Excess Muscle Tension
Posted by admin on Mar 14, 2009
Knowing how to improve posture is a rare skill these days, but it is something that teachers of the Alexander technique have mastered.
When I try and explain the Alexander Technique to someone who’s never heard of it I’m never sure how to best describe it. It’s a bit like explaining to someone what an orange tastes like using only words. I’ve come to the conclusion that words aren’t really up to the task; you have to experience it to understand it.
The following video has a very good explanation of how to improve posture. It may be as good as you can get without actually having a lesson. I particularly liked the bit where she talked about people using excess muscle tension to hold ourselves, instead of using our skeleton.
To Have a Perfect Posture Do I Need A Perfect Chair?
Posted by admin on Mar 11, 2009
In the quest for a perfect posture, most people commonly assume they need the perfect chair to make their dream become a reality. Consequently, ergonomically designed seating is big business; for example the Herman Miller “Aeron” chair costs over £800. However, it turns out that they may not be as important as most people think. One teacher of the Alexander Technique puts it like this:-
“It is certainly true that some chairs are a lot more comfortable than others, and that some chairs make it easier to have a healthier upright posture. But even if you could find the perfect chair, you could hardly carry it around with you all day long. Sooner or later, you would be confronted with a choice between standing or sitting in a less than desirable chair.”
http://ezinearticles.com/?Chairs,-Posture-and-the-Alexander-Technique&id=257720
Posture Correction: How to Avoid Slumping at Your Computer
Posted by admin on Feb 23, 2009
This posture correction video shows how most people unsucessfully try to correct posture. It’s a short clip that demonstrates the right way and wrong way to avoid hunching.
A Perfect Posture is a Moving Posture
Posted by admin on Feb 5, 2009
“The Perfect Posture Is A Moving Posture”, says Yoga expert Rodney Yee. As soon as I heard this, I said, “You hit the nail on the head”. So many people (myself included) spend hours and hours every day sitting in chairs, but people really need to understand how to use their chairs so they don’t end up with bad posture.
Active sitting is not the easiest thing to describe, but Rodney does a great job.
Perfect Posture Pickle: Conflicting Advice From Posture Experts
Posted by admin on Feb 4, 2009
Boy oh boy. How to improve posture seems such a simple subject but there are so many contradicting experts out there. No wonder it is one of the leading reasons for sick leave in the Western world.
Here is a classic example of some posture correction advice, which completely contradicts the fundamental principles of the Alexander Technique. The video talks about how to correct a common bad postural habit of tilting the pelvis forward, which in truth is ultimately caused by excess muscle tension and therefore should be remedied by releasing this tension.
However, the instructor in this video confidently proceeds to do the exact opposite. She says that the glutes need tightening in order to correct this forward tilt – instead of releasing the excess tension she would try and increase the tension in the opposing muscles. Is it just me or is this crazy!!
At first I wasn’t going to put this video up, but then I thought it would good for my readers to see some advice they should be wary of.
Alexander Technique teachers should get themselves a stiff drink before viewing 
Duration : 0:7:18
New posture correction video
Posted by admin on Jan 5, 2009
Here is a posture correction video that helps to explain why people get a bad back in the first place. It shows how most people have a misconception about the location of their hip joints and so end up not using their knees and hips to pick up an object.
Take a look at this video to understand what I mean….
Posture Correction Study Shows GPs A New Way To Help Back Pain Sufferers
Posted by admin on Dec 14, 2008
For many years I have thought that the Alexander Technique is a marvellous solution for posture correction. So I was very excited when in August 2008 the British Medical Journal published findings of a large study into the technique.
The results were very positive and reinforced my longstanding believe that FM Alexander was miles a head of current medical thinking 100 years ago.
This video is sums up the study well:-
