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Michael J. Vipond, B.Sc., D.C. CHIROPRACTOR www.vipondchiropractic.ca E-mail: [email protected]

 #215-2902 West Broadway  15157 Roper Ave Vancouver, BC V6K 2G8 White Rock, BC V4B 5C9 Phone: 604.737.7161 Phone: 604.531.3322 Fax: 604.737.3943 Fax: 604.536.0505 Bits and Bytes May 2017

May is Posture month and this newsletter is dedicated to articles related to posture. Some of the information has also been posted on our Facebook page. You can find us at Vipond Chiropractic Vancouver or Vipond Chiropractic White Rock.

Check Your Smartphone Posture -Lift your phone UP to eye level -Keep your shoulders DOWN -Hold your phone in your hand, and change hands sometimes -Don’t hold your phone between your ear and shoulder Craning your neck to look down trains your shoulders to hunch up and your head to jut forward creating forward head posture!

Be aware of your postural habits when using a mobile device – and while you have that phone out take a candid posture picture of a friend or loved one using their phone. Show them what they look like – because awareness is the first step towards making an improvement! Easily the most common postural issue these days is text neck. Doing it for a short period of time and sporadically won't be a problem. Unfortunately many people hold their phone like the diagram on the left for long periods of time and very, very often. The best way to avoid this problem is as shown on the right. Long term maintenance of poor text neck positioning will lead to spinal misalignments, muscles overly tensed and tight as well as chronic imbalance in the spine. How to Assess Your Postural Awareness? The best way to become aware of your posture is to take a photo with your phone. Stand tall and ask someone to take photos of your front and side views. Then check your photos. Front view: - Is your head centered over your feet? -Are your shoulders level? -Are your arms evenly spaced from your body? -Do both thumbs face forward? -Can you draw a straight line from the center of your feet to your nose? Side view: Can you draw a line straight up from the midfoot through the hip, shoulder and ear.

ACE: Awareness – Forget good or bad. Posture is strong or weak, and there’s always a path to improvement. A quick posture check is a must-do. Control – Strong posture helps you to look your best and move without pain. A few minutes a day of posture exercise is all you need to improve your posture. Environment – To maintain great posture create a posture-smart environment to put an end to bad habits!

Tips and Pointers For Posture Month How you balance your body starts with your feet, which are the foundation of your posture. Take a look at your current shoes: -Is one more worn overall than the other? -Does the toe of each shoe show the same amount of wear? -Are the heels of each shoe wearing differently? -Compare the inside and outside of both shoes, the thickness of the soles and other details to find unbalanced wear. They look good, but do they feel good? Although your personal preference is important, it should only take a couple of minutes to determine your level of comfort. You want to check whether the shoes cause pain, buckle, cramp the toes, or lack support and stability.

Taking It To The Mat For An Evaluation. When people spend most of their lives sitting, over time their physical bent over posture starts to feel normal. Better posture means better alignment of each part of your spine, with head, torso and pelvis stacked in a line over your feet. Weaker posture is when they’re folded and each zone zigzags back and forth to balance.

Floor Posture Test Lie flat on a carpeted floor and then notice: With your head touching the floor, do you need a pillow to get your head level? If so, your head is probably jutting forward when you’re standing or sitting. This is also known as forward head posture (FHP). Posture Lengthening Stretch to Stand Taller Being aware is the first step to fighting back and improving your posture. Lie flat on the floor. Put a book under your head to make your head level and aligned with your torso. Open the book and turn pages so it’s only as thick as necessary to level your head, without any strain. Now gently press your head into the book and take 5 slow, deep breaths. If you feel any strain, roll up a small towel and place under your neck for support. Especially if your head is in a forward head posture, muscles and ligaments have likely shortened over time. Next time you take a Posture Break to lengthen, turn a page or two to make the supporting book a bit thinner. See how close you can get to aligning your head, torso and pelvis for a stronger posture.

Staying Strong Beyond the 50’s While it may happen so slowly that you don't notice, your muscles tend to shrink and weaken with age, starting as early as your 30s. The consequences can include a less active lifestyle, disability, impaired coordination and an increased risk of falls and fractures. Adequate nutrition and exercise remain the main prevention strategies and the best treatments for muscle decline. Not only can these two habits slow muscle shrinkage, but they can assist you in regaining some of the lost mass. Protein is the most important building block for muscles. However, seniors' bodies don't typically use it as efficiently as they used to. Seniors should aim for at least one gram of protein daily per kilogram of body weight. Good sources include poultry, fish, dairy, beans, nuts and lentils. Regarding exercise, combine some aerobic activity with progressive resistance training, or PRT, which pits your muscles against an opposing force ( a pull band, dumbbell or your body mass, for example) and gradually build up to more repetitions and/ or a stronger resistance. Evaluate your current strength and endurance realistically, but a typical beginner might dedicate 10 minutes three times a week on alternating days to do exercises that target a variety of major muscle groups. Source: Reader Digest, May 2017

" A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind"- Moreihei Ueshiba " Posture is important! Look less like a comma and more like an exclamation mark."- Taylor- Kevin Isaacs " I want to get old gracefully. I want to have good posture, I want to be healthy and be an example to my children."- Sting