Quick Tip: Everyday Alignment

Everyday alignment. Where we place ourselves in daily life will dictate so much of what we do or do not see in terms of improvement in our bodies, our strength, our mental well being, and the non-verbal messages we send out into the world. Wow. That's a lot of pressure for just standing around!

When talking specifically to the issues of diastasis recti and pelvic organ prolapse, your ability to recover completely or even just to a place where you can function with little interruption is tied to every minute of every day. It isn't the 30-60 minutes you spend exercising several days a week, it is every other minute outside of that time spent working out.

Think about it. In one day, you may spend 40 minutes exercising, but there are still 1,400 minutes that you are not exercising. Holy s@#$, that is a lot of time! So how are you holding yourself in those 1,400 minutes? Are you slouching, hunching, hanging on your joints, waddling, working on your best text neck, and locking out your knees? Or are you using all those muscles you've been graced with (and so diligently exercise in the gym several times a week) to hold you up tall, stacking your ribs over pelvis, moving through the world like a nimble fox? Both of these images are funny to imagine, but you can find people like this almost anywhere. The nimble foxes are super interesting to watch, and inspiring.

So, what's your poison...hip pain? Low back pain? Incontinence? Knee pain?

Do you stand like this? S.T.O.P. The first pic is a common stance I see with women in particular, especially the younger crowd. I could cry for those young pelvic floors and their future selves!

Notice how you’re standing in various settings and tweak it if needed. Nice, even weight distribution through both feet. Happy hips. Happy pelvic floor. Happy low back. The great thing about alignment is that it's probably not too late. There are extreme cases, but for the most part you can make some great changes and reap amazing rewards with some very simple adjustments. And you don't need any equipment!

Notice your confidence in this stance. It is like an incognito superhero stance (if you put your hands on your hips everyone will totally know you’re a superhero...)! I usually feel a bit self-conscious at first, but then I feel super kickass because of all the confidence I gain from *not* standing like a schmo! 😎

Worried about what to do with your arms? Don’t! Let everyone else worry about such things. Be comfortable, be confident. Just be you.

But, don’t stand like a schmo.