CORRECT YOUR POSTURE WITH THE PostureJac....

TO REVITALIZE YOUR OVERALL BODY HEALTH

Good posture is more than looking good and avoiding back and neck pain!  We have known for a long time that imbalance and stress on our bodies from poor posture affects our muscles, joints and bones.    We make the connection between poor posture and chronic pain to muscles, joints, bones, nerves and headaches.

We are more aware today of how our body parts affect each other and how the fascia throughout our whole holds it all together.    The structure of the fascia responds to imbalances and influences the function of all of the structures including the nerves and organs.   It is affected throughout the body when posture is poor.

"The fascial system: is the richest sensory organ, distributes strain, gives you shape, holds compensations..."

"When you are working on the muscles (in deep tissue bodywork), you can't divorce them from the organs..."  Tom Meyers, Anatomy Trains

What Is Good Posture?

For good posture, the ear, mid shoulder, mid hips should form a line that meets the foot just in front of the ankle.

This provides the ideal center of gravity to bear the weight of our body with the least amount of stress.

It is estimated that over 90% of adult populations deviate from this line and have some symptoms of forward head posture.

Every inch of forward head position adds the weight of another head on your spine!  This causes your body to buckle and deviate from ideal functional alignment.

Correcting and Conditioning Posture With the PostureJac

1. Align the Spine
   Poor posture is characterized by a forward head position which places stress on structures in the the neck and shoulders.
   
   Consider the diffference in the neck alignment with and without the PostureJac. Body tissues need a healthy activity/rest cycle. Vertical alignment restores balance, relieving the constant stress and allowing the muscles to rest.
   
   The  unbalanced, constant pressure caused by forward head position causes damage.   The fascia thickens, affecting nerves and becomes rigid.  Injury  creates scar tissue that inhibits movement.
   
   As the center of gravity moves forward, the body instinctively responds - to keep from falling forward. The neck may tuck into a turtleneck position. The anterior flexor muscles stretch and weaken and the posterior extensor muscles become short and tense.  Flexion and range of rotation  are affected.  This is critical for drivers who need rotation in their neck to see their blind spot.

   
   The upper back becomes rounded (kyphosis) and the hips may move forward into a swayback posture with too much curvature in the lower back (lordosis) or C-posture with not enough curvature. Correcting the head forward position is an important part of restoring the center of gravity and alignment to the rest of the body.
   
   The Turtle Neck, Head Turner, Jac Retract and Rotator Cuff exercises are designed to restore conditioning in the neck and upper shoulder region. They can be performed while standing or sitting.
   
   

2. Preserve the Curve
   The natural curve of your spine acts as a shock absorber. Your vertebrae are constructed to be evenly spaced with this curvature. Too much or too little curvature places uneven pressure on the disks, causing rupture, bone on bone injury and damage to the nerves leaving the spine.
   
   Use the Rocket, Piston, Chair Rise and Hip Hinge exercises to develop healthy curvature.
   
   Use the Rotator Cuff and Posture Breath exercises to overcome rounded shoulders and thoracic compression.
   
   
3. Restore the Core
   Maintaining good alignment to the upper and lower back, extending down to the lower body, requires a strong core. Definitions of  the Core may vary. One approach is to "consider the core as a 3D space (like a pop can) with the top of the core being the diaphragm, the front and sides of the core the abdominal muscles, the back of the core being the back muscles, and the bottom of core the pelvic floor. For optimal function, all of the walls of the core must be equally strong." (Julie Ross, PT).
   
   The JacBack Press and JacBack Stabilizer exercises are designed to protect the back while doing pilates-type floor exercises. The JacBack Press can also be done in the standing position.
   

You had perfect posture when you took your first step. It required the least amount of strength to stand upright. Poor posture developed as you gained the strength to support it without falling over. Over time, through habits and dominant activities (or lack therof), poor posture becomes a normalized position.

Poor posture affects your whole body because all regions are interdependant. Effective posture correction must address this reality. See how the Posture Correction Exercises are designed for this purpose.