Improving posture

[Rebecca]

Due to my childhood being dominated by ballet training I am told that the one thing I do well when dancing MJ is posture (I should now qualify that with a list of my rubbish points I know, but I won’t bore you. . .)

Zebra Woman asked me for some advice to help her daughter’s ice skating and I’m told after applying this simple exercise she had a breakthrough, so you could give it a go:

• Whilst reading this, push your chair back away from the screen and sit with the base of your spine pressed against the chair back.

• Try not to focus on pushing your shoulders anywhere. Ignore them for now. Ignore your chest too.

• Raise both of your arms parallel in front of you until they reach the horizontal plane (elbows and hands relaxed)

• Take both arms out to your sides by allowing your shoulder blades to meet – nearly (arms still on the horizontal plane)

• Whilst holding them there start to focus on holding firm the muscles between, and at the base of your shoulder blades (no idea what they’re called)

• Now relax your arms down by your sides continuing to focus on your shoulder blades being held in place.

• Then try the same exercise standing – then dancing. . .

I find that whilst I can hold the strength in this area of my back (and stomach of course) I can be free with my arms, shoulders, head etc whilst retaining posture.

Difficult to articulate – search me out at Southport if you’re going and if this seems like something you want to try.

nb. Stretch out the muscles by holding your hands together and pushing them out in front of you afterwards.

All the best, Rebecca

[Anna]

Where can I get hold of these magical shoes??

On a more serious note, how does one improve core strength - are there exercises one could do?

To improve core strength.. sit ups, pilates, yoga, martial arts. Or other forms of dance, for example, Egyptian dance is for everyone (men and women) and it builds your core as well as teaching you to isolate.

Ballroom dancing is very good for overall posture, it was the first partner dance style I learnt and even though I have now progressed to Street Latin (the antichrist of ballroom), I still have my ballroom posture - a straight line from head to the base of my spine and an ever so slightly elevated chin. You will not regret learning to have Ballroom posture!! As it's also a lot better for your back in the long run

[Dorothy]

Due to my childhood being dominated by ballet training I am told that the one thing I do well when dancing MJ is posture (I should now qualify that with a list of my rubbish points I know, but I won’t bore you. . .)
All the best, Rebecca

Great advice Rebecca Not boring at all!
Ballet is excellent for posture, and ballroom helped me too.

[killingtime]

Interesting stuff here. I'll purchase a pilates DVD and give it a go. Does anyone have any recommendations for (pilates) DVDs?

[Donna]

Ballroom dancing is very good for overall posture, it was the first partner dance style I learnt and even though I have now progressed to Street Latin (the antichrist of ballroom), I still have my ballroom posture - a straight line from head to the base of my spine and an ever so slightly elevated chin. You will not regret learning to have Ballroom posture!! As it's also a lot better for your back in the long run

That's exactly why we took up ballroom. I find the waltz has done helped us to hold our posture for longer without having to really think about it... even when you get tired! (as by then, most people tend to go round shouldered)