Four Virtues To Keep In Mind When Doing Exercises To Improve Posture
July 6th, 2009 8:01 amWhen you embark on a system of exercises to improve posture, it might be frustrating at first. It is very common to expect a lot out of your own body. We want fast results, and we can hurt ourselves if we are not careful.
To help us cope with these feelings and get us through our various ruts, we can use virtues developed in the yoga and tai chi systems. These virtues lead us to reconnect with the realities of our bodies so that we reduce our risk of injury and increase the effectiveness of the exercises.
1. Patience
There is usually a big improvement right at the beginning, when you first start a new exercise routine. Your muscles can quickly adapt to the increased load. But then you tend to plateau, and your gains will slow down. Your tendons and ligaments can’t adapt as quickly as your muscles can. After you experience a big change in your posture, it might not get better very quickly. However, as long as you continue the exercises and do them properly, your posture will get better. It is just slower. Keep at it and you will see.
2. Modesty
Our bodies are precious. Often, we try too hard to push ourselves. We might stretch too hard, or lift a weight we shouldn’t. Often, our injuries are not serious. But sometimes, especially when dealing with the back and tendons, we can do serious damage. Our spine is so important to our lives. It is important to protect it and strengthen it.
You ligaments and tendons can only stretch 4% of their length before they start to get hurt. When you stretch, you should only apply a gentle stretch to your tendons. A good rule of thumb is that when your muscles begin to twitch, that is as far as you should go in the stretch. Your tendons are actually sending a reflex message to your muscles to avoid stretching too far.
3. Awareness
Often, we don’t pay attention when we exercise. We might watch TV when we are on the bike. Or listen to music while we run through the park. This might help you lose weight, but it doesn’t help you learn about your body habits. How you carry yourself throughout the day is vitally important not only to your posture, but to your health in general. If you can’t pay attention when you are using your body in as physical an activity as working out, how can you expect to know when you are sitting in an awkward and painful position?
4. Grace
A certain elegance helps any movement. Try to find the grace in whatever movement you are doing. Your exercises represent what you want to be. How you hold your posture symbolizes how you feel. Exercise with with your intention in mind. Let your purpose be present during each workout.
These four virtues, which play a large part in yoga, help make the connection between your exercises to improve posture and the rest of your life. A complete exercise system couldn’t function with these or similar principles. They are so vital to bringing the benefits of your practice to the rest of your life.
