have better posture

Me, I need a trigger to help me remember to do something, especially when it comes to breaking a life-long habit. So the trigger lately is the color yellow. It’s springey, it’s happy, it certainly stands out in a crowd, and I’m seeing it a lot lately.

When I see the color yellow – on a jacket, a taxi, a field of flowers, a garden wall – I smile and remember to stand tall. It’s been working!!

It all started when I saw a pretty girl in a yellow skirt riding her bicycle. It occurred to me that an attractive girl riding a bicycle is always nice to see, but that it was because she was sitting on her bike so straight and proud that it really caught my eye. I want to look like her as I cycle down the street, as I walk down the street, as I sit in my chair in front of the computer. Straight, proud, yellow.

Now that I’m living in a city, I notice that I see my own image so much more often than I did in the country. In the country I could see what I look like if I sought out a mirror, but in the city when I walk down the street to do any errand I pass shop after shop with big glass windows that reflect my unsolicited image back at me. So I often notice this woman who looks so much like me, keeping pace with me but walking inside of each shop I pass, who slouches all the time! When I see her doing that, I try to set an example of good posture for her to follow. :)

I’m working on my posture, but it’s more than just remembering to stand tall. It feels like I’m working against my muscles, that they’re extra tight lately. But walking as much as I do in this city, and walking past store windows that reflect my image back at me, has made me more aware of my need to be mindful of my body’s stance. And I’ve been seeing a body worker who is helping me to loosen up and straighten out.

I saw a fellow the other day with incredible posture. Simply perfect – he walked with such grace; he must have been a dancer. I couldn’t stop looking at him.

Somehow I tweaked out my back yesterday. Ouch-city! I’m pretty sure I did it by sitting with poor posture, so bad me! but I’m also noticing that sitting correctly relieves the pain, so I’ll take it as an opportunity to re-remember a good habit.

I had a lot of pain in my upper back yesterday. My fault, I was a sloucher. Straighten up and start again.

I’m catching myself slouching more and more, and remembering more and more often to straighten up. But I think that having good posture is more than just remembering to stand or sit tall, there are also muscles involved in this process that need to be trained. I’ve recently added the goal of doing 100 situps per day it makes sense that abdominal muscles play as much a part in posture as back muscles.

I’m remembering more and more often to straighten up. This has had an effect on my day’s outlook. When I feel a lack of confidence I often notice that my body reflects it, and so I stand up straighter and subsequently feel stronger. Just gota keep on with the positive habit-forming.

Next week, hopefully – if there’s room in the class for me to add – I’ll start up an 18-week pilates class. Last time I took pilates the teacher drilled us constantly on posture, and so my standing habits were tip-top. Here’s to more of the same!

My trouble is simply that I am slow to internalize a new habit. And that’s what this is – a habit. I just have to remember to remember to stand straight. The goal is immediately reached when I remember to reach for it. So I just have to remember more often.

Maybe I’ll plug in reminders throughout my day. For example, if I convince myself that everytime the phone rings I should think about my posture, then I’ll remember to remember all the more often. Everytime I look at the clock and it’s the hour straight up, straighten up. Things like that. Eventually, hopefully, everything will remind me to stand tall.

When I stand or sit up straight I feel more confident, I feel healthier, I look sexier. It’s such an easy thing to do; just straightening out my back. I’m not about to let simple lazyness stop me from feeling confident, healthy and sexy …..