Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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MAY 21-27, 2014 UCW 17 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM When I was a child, my mom and grandmother were constantly saying to me, "Sit up straight!" "Don't slump!" The messages were always the same. Well, now I'm an adult with children of my own and I am repeating the same words to my own children as I heard many years ago. Good posture is very important. Good posture is an easy and very important way to maintain a healthy mind and body. When you practice correct posture, you can alleviate common problems such as spinal pain, headaches, fatigue, and poor self-confidence. Do you think I am exaggerating? Try this simple test to feel how posture plays into shoulder function: Sit up straight right now, just like mom taught you. Raise both arms overhead and get an idea of how high you can reach. Now slouch. I mean really slouch just like a teenager watching TV. Now raise your arms again. Couldn't raise them as high, could you? Perhaps that pain in your shoulder is not coming from just your shoulder? It could be coming from your neck. Now that you understand just how important posture is in mobility, it is also important for your mind and self confidence. Good posture helps you breathe better, improves circulation, increases energy and helps you look taller and more confident. Imagine that there is a string attached to the top of your head. Imagine someone GENTLY pulling upward on that string, making you taller and taller. Keep the string pulling. How do you feel? Try to do this every time you are sitting for more than 30 minutes, like reading a book or mail, watching TV or sitting at your computer. You can also ask someone to look at your posture. A friend or family member will probably be honest to you about how good or bad your posture really is. Stand with your back against a wall. Stand tall and pinch your shoulder blades together. Do this 10 times twice a day. Of course there are other things you can do to help establish a lifestyle that supports good posture. Your Physical Therapist can give you many personalized tips to help you gain the benefits of good posture. Physical therapists are the musculoskeletal specialists. They can teach you how to prevent or manage your condition so that you will achieve long-term benefits. Physical Therapists examine and develop an individual plan that fits your needs. Did you know? In the state of North Carolina, you can see a physical therapist without a referral through what is called Direct Access. Call your local physical therapist for more information. So there you have it, Mom was right after all! Make her proud and sit up straight and practice good posture! References: www.wikihow.com/Improve-Your-Posture physical-therapy.advanceweb.com/.../ Articles/Posture-and-Exercise.aspx Does Posture Matter? by SHANNON EASINGWOOD Fayetteville Technical Community College offers flexible options: • to get you on the fast track to entering the workforce with the job skills you need, • to provide your first two years of high-quality college education, peparing for your transfer to a four-year college/university, • to save money on tuition expenses, plus opportunities to apply for scholarships or financial aid, • and to help you excel in the workforce or in the four-year college environment and beyond! Graduating from high school and wondering what to do next? A military friendly school offering more than 190 programs, many available online. FTCC Admissions (910) 678-8473 Call our FTCC recruiters today to learn about the options available to help you achieve your goals and dreams: Reade Rizzolo (rizzolor@faytechcc.edu or 910-678-8579) or Angela Smith (smitha@faytechcc.edu or 910-678-8319) Congratulations on your high school graduation! Now enjoy your summer, and let your next steps take you to FTCC! SHANNON EASINGWOOD, PTA, CKTP, CCRC Physical Therapy, Contributing Writer. www.ccrcnc.com COM- MENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910.484.6200. When you practice correct posture, you can alleviate common problems such as spinal pain, headaches, fatigue, and poor self-confidence.