December 18, 2011 — If you have back pain, you probably know your posture isn’t good. And if you sit for much of your waking day, you know you’re training your body to be slumped over into folded, or “weak” posture. However, even though you may never be perfectly straight, there are ways to relieve your pain by strengthening your posture.

Low-back pain from sitting results from mechanical stress on the body. This is called poor bio-mechanics, and when the body is not mechanically well aligned posture, and balance, is weak. The simple act of balancing when you stand up with weak posture will overwork some muscles and stress joints. The key to reducing this strain is to improve balance, and the ability to control how you balance, to retrain muscles and nerves for less pain and better function.

Step one towards stronger posture is improving the symmetry of how your body moves on each side. In fact, just changing the position from which you move can help

free up locked and stiff joints and become the first step to stronger posture and less pain.

The “Sitting Leg Cross" StrongPosture Stretch is an easy back and hip stretch you can do at your desk. You can use your office chair, or if you want to challenge yourself with an exercise taught by posture professionals, do the Sitting Leg Cross while sitting on a ball.

A: Sit tall and strong on the front edge of chair or ball as you cross your left leg over the right knee. Pull your belly in to brace your core.

As you breath out, keep your head and shoulders aligned as you pull your body forward. Take two or three breaths, and come up with your posture still strong. Repeat on other side.

B: Repeat above, but this time cross your legs at the knee.

Do this to help you become aware of and improve your lower body symmetry, and to start your own daily posture exercise program.

Article written by: Steven Weiniger, DC. For more StrongPosture info see www.BodyZone.com.