Proper Body Alignment - National Osteoporosis Foundation

Knowing how to move, sit and stand properly can help you stay active and prevent broken bones and disability. Proper posture can also help to limit the amount of kyphosis, or forward curve of the upper back, that can result from broken bones in the spine.

One of the most important things about body mechanics and posture is alignment. Alignment refers to how the head, shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles relate and line up with each other. Proper alignment of the body puts less stress on the spine and helps you have good posture.

To keep proper alignment, avoid the following positions or movements:

• Having a slumped, head-forward posture
• Bending forward from the waist
• Twisting of the spine to a point of strain
• Twisting the trunk and bending forward when doing activities such as coughing, sneezing, vacuuming or lifting
• Anything that requires you to reach far. An example is reaching up for an item on a high shelf, which also could cause you to lose your balance and fall.

Some exercises can do more harm than good. If you have osteoporosis or have had broken bones in the spine, you should avoid exercises that involve bending over from the waist. Some examples include:

• Sit-ups
• Abdominal crunches (also referred to as stomach crunches)
• Toe-touches

Many exercises and activities such as yoga, Pilates, tennis and golf may need to be avoided or modified because they often involve twisting and bending motions. Bending forward during routine activities also puts stress on the spine and can increase the chance of breaking a bone in the spine. While bending forward puts strain on the spine, it is usually safer if you’re able to keep your back flat.

• When sitting in a chair, try to keep your hips and knees at the same level. Place your feet flat on the floor. Keep a comfortable posture. You should have a natural inward curve to your lower back and a tall, upright upper back.
• When sitting in bucket seats or soft couches or chairs, use a rolled up towel or pillow to support your lower back.
• When standing up from a chair, move your hips forward to the front of the chair, and use your leg muscles to lift yourself up.
• When driving, use the head rest.
• When tying your shoes or drying your feet, sit in a chair. Place one foot on a footstool, box or on your other leg. Lean forward at the hips to tie or dry. Do not bend over or slouch through your upper back. Keep the natural curve of your lower back and a straight upper back.
• When reading, do not lean or slump over. Set your reading material on a desk, table or on pillows on your lap.
• When sitting at a desk, prop up a clipboard so it slants toward you, like a drafting table.
• Use a footstool or footrest when seated for long periods of time.
• For relief after sitting for a while, do some of the Bone Healthy Exercises

Standing

• Keep your head high, chin in and shoulder blades slightly pinched together.
• Maintain the natural arch of your lower back as you flatten your abdomen by gently pulling it in.
• Point your feet straight ahead with your knees facing forward.
• While standing in one place for more than a few minutes, put one foot up on a stool or in an open cabinet (if you are in the kitchen). Switch to the other foot every so often. You’ll find this much less tiring for your back and legs.

Climbing Stairs 

• Use the stairs for exercise and to help with your bone density, but only if your healthcare provider says it’s safe for you. Build up gradually with this exercise.
• Keep your head high, chin in, shoulder blades slightly pinched together and abdomen gently pulled in.
• Keep your feet pointed straight ahead, not to one side. Your knees should face forward. Keep your knees slightly bent.
• Instead of putting one foot directly in front of the other, keep your feet a few inches apart, lined up under the hip on the same side.
• For safety, hold the rail while going up and down but try to avoid pulling yourself up by the railing.
• Be especially cautious going downstairs. A fall down the stairs could cause severe injuries.

Bending and Turning 

• Keep your feet flat and about shoulder-width apart from one another.
• Let both upper arms touch your ribs on the sides, unless you’re using one hand for support.
• As you bend, keep your back upright and straight and your shoulder blades pinched together.
• Bend only at the knees and hips. Do not bend over at the waist since this will put your upper back into a rounded position which can cause broken bones in the spine.
• Even when standing to brush your teeth or to wash the dishes, try not to bend over at the waist. Instead, bend at the knees and hips while keeping your back straight.
• When changing the direction you’re facing, move your feet with your body. Do not twist the spine. Pivot on your heels or toes with your knees slightly bent. Keep nose, knees, and toes pointing in the same direction.

Lifting and Carrying

• Don’t lift or carry objects, packages or babies weighing more than 10 pounds. If you are unsure about how much you can lift, check with your healthcare provider, especially a physical therapist.
• If you do pick up a heavy object, never bend way over so that your back is parallel to the ground. This places a great deal of strain on your back.
• To lift an object off the floor, first kneel on one knee. Place one hand on a table or stable chair for support if you need it.
• Bring the object close to your body at waist level. Gently pull your abdomen in to support your back and breathe out when you are lifting an object or straightening up. Do not hold your breath. Stand using your leg and thigh muscles.
• When carrying groceries, ask to have your bags packed lightly. Divide heavy items into separate bags. Always hold bags close to your body. Try to balance the load by carrying the same amount in each hand.
• When unpacking, place bags on a chair or table rather than on a high counter or floor. This prevents unnecessary lifting and twisting of the spine.
• Instead of carrying a heavy pocketbook or purse, consider wearing a fanny pack.

Pushing and Pulling 

• When you vacuum, rake, sweep or mop, keep your feet apart with one foot in front of the other. Always face your work directly to keep from twisting your back.
• Shift your weight from foot-to-foot in a rocking movement. With knees bent and shoulder blades pinched, move forward and back, or from side to side rhythmically.
• Do not bend forward from the waist.

Coughing and Sneezing 

• Develop the habit of supporting your back with one hand whenever you cough or sneeze.
• Place your hand behind your back or on your thigh. This protects the spine from injury caused by a sudden bend forward.

http://nof.org/articles/549
Source:  http://nof.org/articles/549

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Mindfulness Meditation May Ease Anxiety, Mental Stress

Image Posted on 28 April 2014 by Carmen Burby

Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter

Posted January 08, 2014

My mom began meditating decades ago, long before the mind-calming practice had entered the wider public consciousness. Today, at age 81, she still goes to a weekly meditation group and quotes Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist monk known for his practice of mindfulness, or “present-focused awareness.”

Although meditation still isn’t exactly mainstream, many people practice it, hoping to stave off stress and stress-related health problems. Mindfulness meditation, in particular, has become more popular in recent years. The practice involves sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and then bringing your mind’s attention to the present without drifting into concerns about the past or future. (Or, as my mom would say, “Don’t rehearse tragedies. Don’t borrow trouble.”)

But, as is true for a number of other alternative therapies, much of the evidence to support meditation’s effectiveness in promoting mental or physical health isn’t quite up to snuff. Why? First, many studies don’t include a good control treatment to compare with meditation. Second, the people most likely to volunteer for a meditation study are often already sold on meditation’s benefits and so are more likely to report positive effects.

But when researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD sifted through nearly 19,000 meditation studies, they found 47 trials that addressed those issues and met their criteria for well-designed studies. Their findings, published in this week’s JAMA Internal Medicine, suggest that mindfulness meditation can help ease psychological stresses like anxiety, depression, and pain.

Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, a psychiatrist at the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, says that mindfulness meditation makes perfect sense for treating anxiety. “People with anxiety have a problem dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power,” she explains. “They can’t distinguish between a problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that has no benefit.”

“If you have unproductive worries,” says Dr. Hoge, you can train yourself to experience those thoughts completely differently. “You might think ‘I’m late, I might lose my job if I don’t get there on time, and it will be a disaster!’ Mindfulness teaches you to recognize, ‘Oh, there’s that thought again. I’ve been here before. But it’s just that—a thought, and not a part of my core self,’” says Dr. Hoge.

One of her recent studies (which was included in the JAMA Internal Medicine review) found that a mindfulness-based stress reduction program helped quell anxiety symptoms in people with generalized anxiety disorder, a condition marked by hard-to-control worries, poor sleep, and irritability. People in the control group—who also improved, but not as much as those in the meditation group—were taught general stress management techniques. All the participants received similar amounts of time, attention, and group interaction.

To get a sense of mindfulness meditation, you can try one of the guided recordings by Dr. Ronald Siegel, an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. They are available for free at www.mindfulness-solution.com.

Some people find that learning mindfulness techniques and practicing them with a group is especially helpful, says Dr. Hoge. Mindfulness-based stress reduction training, developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA, is now widely available in cities throughout the United States.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-may-ease-anxiety-mental-stress-201401086967

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The five points of Yoga according to Swami Visnudevananada

1. Proper exercise (Asanas) The asanas (postures) work systematically on all parts of the body, lubricating the whole bodily system by stimulating the circulation and increasing flexibility. Asana means a steady posture done slowly and with awareness and promote not only physical well-being, but increase mental capacities for concentration and meditation. Yoga asanas work first and foremost on the health of the spine. The spinal column contains the central nervous system, the communication system of the body, supporting the health of the whole body. If the flexibility and strength of the spine is maintained with proper exercise, circulation is intensified, the nerves are assured of a supply of nutrients and oxygen, and the body retains its youthful condition. Moreover, asanas activate pressure points which when stimulated, increase the flow of prana (life force or vital energy) in the body. They massage the internal organs resulting in improved functioning. Since yoga asanas are always practised in conjunction with deep breathing, relaxation and concentration, they help to develop mental concentration. The restless mind is withdrawn from the outward distractions and turns inward and is stilled.

2. Proper Breathing (Pranayama) Pranayama or proper breathing connects the body with its battery, the solar plexus, where enormous reserves of energy can be stored and retrieved. Through the breathing techniques of pranayama this energy is released. When we consciously regulate our breath, we are able to store and access a greater amount of vital life energy or prana. Most people use only a fraction of the lung capacity for breathing. They breathe superficially resulting in tension accumulating in the upper back and neck due to lack of oxygen. Deep yogic abdominal breathing can release deep seated toxins and tensions and even depression. A person who possesses an abundance of prana radiates vitality and strength and works with efficiency , calmness and concentration. Pranayama ( breathing exercises) not only increase prana but also how to control it. There is a subtle connection between prana and the mind , by controlling and regulating the prana we control the mind. All diseases of the body can be destroyed at the root by regulating the prana which is the secret of healing. Acupuncture, shiatsu, spiritual healing etc. are all examples of the conscious or unconscious control of prana.

3. Proper Relaxation (Savasana) Proper relaxation is a vital part of keeping the body and mind healthy and a tonic for the whole being, which when practised properly releases vast resources of energy. Proper relaxation cools down the system, like the cooling system of a car. When the body is relaxed, nature recharges the body more efficiently. When the body and mind are constantly overworked, they overheat and we feel 'burnt-out'. The stresses and challenges of the modern life make it difficult for a person to relax. We waste a large amount of energy on unnecessary physical and mental tension. During the course of a day our body produces all the substances and energy needed for the following day but very often this is dissipated within a few minutes by emotional outbursts of negativity such as anger, grief , jealousy etc. During deep relaxation only a small amount of prana is used to maintain the most important metabolic activities. Even a few minutes of deep relaxation can recharge us more effectively than hours of restless sleep.

4. Proper Diet (Vegetarian) The yogic diet is essentially a lacto-vegetarian one, consisting of pure and natural foods cooked with fresh organic vegetables. A yogic diet nourishes both the body and mind and is best suited for the practice of yoga and meditation. A simple yogic diet is a balanced diet free from chemicals, unprocessed and ensures a better supply of nutrients. The yogic attitude to food is that we eat to live, not live to eat, taking foodstuffs which have the most positive effect on body and mind, and the least negative consequences to the environment and to other creatures.

5. Positive Thinking and Meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana) Positive thinking and meditation are an important key to achieving peace of mind. Meditation is the art of slowing down and focusing the mind. Regular practice enhances mental, physical and spiritual well-being. In order to meditate, we need first to still the mind through concentration techniques and positive thinking. A mind full of negative emotion and thoughts cannot be stilled. Through concentration techniques, negative thought waves are replaced by positive images and autosuggestion leads the mind to a state of calm and peace.

Source:
http://www.sivananda.org/orleans/en/five_points.htm


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