Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Sit Up Straight! (and play nice!)

It's easy to forget about posture. So easy that we do it every day, hunched over a computer or desk, gripping a steering wheel, picking up heavy or bulky objects. Hell, I know better and I do it.

It's easy to forget until the middle of your back is twitching the wrong direction or screaming at you. And then you wonder what you did to annoy it so badly.

So what. You can still feel it, right?

When you do remember to sit up straight, do so. When you do remember to roll your shoulders back, do so.

That little bit of remembering helps.

When you kill the engine on your bike and finally lean back, how does that feel?

Like a good long stretch, right.

That's all your body needs in most cases.

Because on a bike you're leaning forward, no matter a sport bike or a cruiser, you're leaning forward into the curves and into the wind, holding your body upright with just your arms. We'll get to the arms at a later time, but for now, just go stretch out your back.

Roll your shoulders back, take a few moments to stretch your arms up over your head and lean as far back as you dare to without falling. If you're in for the night, lay down and place a folded pillow behind your shoulder blades to stretch back for a few minutes. If you're really daring, hang your head and arms off the side of your bed or couch... but that's only till the blood rushes to your head and suddenly you feel like dancing on the ceiling.

Your body will thank you in the long run, you know.

~

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