By J Bocobo Using corrective exercise for a common muscle imbalance. You may have heard it incessantly in your youth, or even now that youre all grown up. It usually came in two flavors Sit up straight or Stand up straight. The typical response to it was: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Some of us paid heed to the urgings and the rest of us did... nothing. So there you are, the lucky beneficiary of slouching posture. The perks of this return to Neanderthal-like stature may be: soreness between the shoulder blades, tension in the upper shoulder and neck, tightness in the front of the shoulders and chest, and a generally shorter you. Granted its not always easy to walk or sit like youve got a board strapped to your back. Heck, even fitness professionals slouch. Sometimes its just more comfortable. Why mess with comfort? Your body has an optimal alignment where everything is balanced and the world is perfect. If something is introduced that disrupts the alignment like say...slouching. Then the world can get ugly. When you slouch, your head can migrate forward, followed by your shoulders. In an attempt to re-balance the body your hips may tilt forward, which can affect your knees and finally your ankles. Before you know it, youve got head to toe muscle imbalance. To counter the effects of slouching, the side of your back (latissimus dorsi), chest (pectorals), and side of your neck (scalenes and sternocleidomastoid muscles) must be relaxed. This particular group of muscles typically gets tight from slouching. Having tight/shortened muscles means there will also be weak/lengthened muscles, which must be addressed if slouching is to be corrected. The areas between and below the shoulder blades (rhomboids, mid and lower trapezius), lower shoulder blade (infraspinatus and teres minor), and front of the neck (longus colli and capitus muscles) are what need to be strengthened. A common exercise for this is the Prone Cobra. Think of the strengthening portion as the glue that will hold your body in optimal alignment. It typically takes four to six weeks of consistent exercise to see and feel a taller you. After that, clients are usually progressed to more challenging variations of this protocol. The thing to remember is that this isnt a one-time fix. Life presents innumerable opportunities to revert to slouching. To keep it in check this approach must be seen as a preventive measure, and a way to ward off those who would tell you to Sit up straight. Static Sternocleidomastoid Stretch Place right arm behind back and stand tall with belly button pulled in. Tilt left ear to left shoulder while turning head over right shoulder. Apply gentle overpressure with left hand to create a mild stretch from the right ear to right collarbone. Hold for 20-30 seconds, repeating 2-3 times per side. Static Scalene Stretch Place left arm behind back and stand tall. Pull belly button in and tilt right ear to right shoulder. Apply gentle overpressure on left side of head to create a mild stretch in the left side of the neck. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat on both sides 2-3 times. Static Lat Stretch Kneel on the floor. Bend from the hips and place hands on the ground. Tilt hips under you, pull belly button in, and reach forward until you feel a stretch alongside your ribs and underarms. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat for 3 repetitions. Static Pectoral Stretch Stand perpendicular to a wall with right foot forward and toes pointing forward. Place left palm on the wall and pull belly button in. Slowly turn away from the wall to create a mild stretch in the chest. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat on both sides for up to 3 repetitions. Prone Cobra Lay on your tummy with hands alongside hips. Pull belly button in and squeeze glutes. Lift upper body and hands off the ground. Tuck chin to chest and rotate thumbs back towards hips. Pinch shoulder blades together and down to back pockets. Return to the ground and repeat 15-20 times. For additional progressions go to fuel at performance4life.com John Bocobo is a fitness professional and co-founder of Performance 4 Life. He specializes in corrective exercise and can be contacted at: performance4life.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Bocobo http://EzineArticles.com/?Cobras-Will-Make-You-Taller&id=383699 phentermine online us
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