One of the first things to learn about T'ai Chi Chih involves expanding your awareness of posture. Enjoy the two sided guide below to improve your posture as described in lesson one. -- JoEtta Heck
Why Improve Your Posture? For Healthy Longevity
Steven P. Weiniger, D.C., author of Stand Taller, Live Longer: An Anti-Aging Strategy, says, “When your head is pulled forward, your torso is rolling forward and your chest caves in,” he says. “You can’t take a deep breath. Studies have shown that people with weak posture are more likely to have incidents of cardiovascular and pulmonary issues.” In a study of women in particular, he says, women whose heads were pushed forward (instead of lined up over their torsos) were 1.4 times more likely to die than those whose posture was aligned correctly. This is probably because the heart is pumping harder to get blood out of a collapsed chest.
Weak posture (Weiniger prefers that term over “bad” posture) can cause breathing problems, joint pain, difficulty walking, and may contribute to falls experienced by the elderly. If your posture is misaligned, your joints may become misaligned, and you’ll feel pain in them with every step. Plus, people with posture problems look older than their upright counterparts. If you spot a former ballet dancer, for example, even in her 80s, she seems to glide as she walks compared with some of her plodding counterparts.
Excerpted from www.grandparents.com in 2016 (No longer accessible)
3 Ways To Improve Your Posture — And Why You
written by Andrea Atkins 09/28/2013 08:28 AM ET