nurses and midwives posture

Do this 1 exercise daily to improve your posture

March 29, 2021 by Rayan Calimlim Leave a Comment

Karl from Vitruvian Health shares 1 exercise you can do to improve your posture.

The cat cow

If you’ve ever done a vinyasa yoga class, you’ll be familiar with the cat cow. It’s typically done in the opening flow sequence (Surya Namaskar A) to warm up the body and prepare it for the ‘more intense’ asanas.

It is an awesome exercise that combines both the extension (cow) and flexion (cat) movements into one. This means you are both opening and closing the chest and the back body which promotes opening and release through the shoulders, neck, chest, upper back and spine.

The beauty of this exercise is that you don’t need any equipment to do it and you can perform it at any time of the day when you have a spare few minutes.

Combining the movement with breath promotes dropping out of your mind and into your body, enabling you to become more present in the moment – great when you are having ‘one of those days!’.

How to perform cat cow

Start on your hands and knees;
On your inhale:
1. press the floor away with your hands;
2. round through your upper back;
3. bring your chin in towards your chest;
On your exhale:
1. move the chest towards the floor;
2. rotate head to look forward and slightly up;
3. round shoulders back and down;
4. squeeze shoulder blades together;
Repeat 10 times.

Want to see this exercise in real time? Check out this video with Karl.

This article was provided by Vitruvian Health.

4 simple 10 minute workouts to improve your posture

November 12, 2020 by Rayan Calimlim Leave a Comment

Karl from Vitruvian Health shares 4 simple workouts you can do in the gym to improve your posture – and they only take 10-15 minutes each!

This workout is designed for you to do in the gym. It aims to work on your upper back, lower back and core. These are the muscles that support our everyday activities and our fundamental movements. Strengthening these muscles will help you stand taller, prevent injury and leave you feeling stronger day to day if you do them at least 2 times per week, for 3 sets per group.

We have designed this into a series of small workouts so you can select specific workouts to suit your busy schedule. If you happen to have a spare 45-60 minutes, you can follow along with our video and complete the whole thing in one go. Enjoy!

A series: working your grip, upper back and shoulders

This series is great if you have been sitting down all day and want to open those shoulders.

1. Scapula pull ups

a. Start position – passively hang from a bar (feet can either be hanging or on a bench);
b. Keeping arms straight the whole time, lift your chest up to the sky while pulling shoulder blades towards one another;
c. Hold at the top squeezing upper back;
d. Release and slowly lower back down to a passive hang position;
e. Repeat for 12 times.

2. Shoulder dislocates

a. Grab a band, towel or dowel (broomstick);
b. Hold the band with both hands. Hands will be wider than your hips. The tighter you are, the further apart your hands need to be. The aim is to keep your arms straight the whole time;
c. On your inhale, lift your shoulder up near your ears, then lift your arms up over your head;
d. Pull your stomach and ribs in;
e. Without bending your arms, as you exhale, let your arms fall over your head while pulling your chest up (ribs in) so your arms and the band are behind you. You are aiming for the band to touch your bum. The tighter you are, the less range you have;
f. Once you reach your end point, squeeze your upper back, take a deep breath in, lift your arms and as you do so, lift your shoulders up towards your ears;
g. Exhale as your arms come back down in front of you back to your starting position;
h. Repeat 12 times.

Repeat A series (scapula pull ups and shoulder dislocates) 3-5 times through, one after the other.

B series: Back & Lower back

This series is fantastic for starting your day so that you feel stronger and more upright.

1. 45 degrees superman back extension

a. On a 45 degree back extension machine, set the height of the machine so that it’s just below the hips;
b. Lock heels in and keep legs straight;
c. Start at the top, torso in line with legs, extend arms above head next to ears, turn palms inwards
d. Slowly hinge from the hips and lower torso towards floor;
e. At the bottom, pull lower belly in, squeeze glutes and lift torso back up in line with legs;
f. Once reaching the top, repeat 12 times, ensuring minimal arching in lower back.

2. 30 degree neutral dumbell row

a. Using an incline bench, lift the bench so that it is 30 degrees;
b. With a dumbbell in each hand, lie prone on the bench, knees bent and feet driving into the floor;
c. Start with arms straight, shoulders back and down;
d. Pull dumbells towards the hips;
e. Slow lower dumbbells back down until your arms are straight;
f. Repeat 12 times.

Repeat B series (45 degrees back extension and 30 degree include neutral dumbbell row) 3-5 times through, one after the other.

C series: Stability, Abs and Shoulder

A great place to start if you want to work out your whole body.

Bird dog

a. Starting on hands and knees, lift left arm up in line with ear, extend right leg out behind you, flexing right foot;
b. Draw left elbow and right knee towards one another, touch elbow and knee under the stomach squeezing core as you do so;
c. Extend arm and leg and repeat 12 times;
d. Swap the opposite arm and leg and repeat 12 times.

Repeat 3-5 times through, pushing 60 secs rest between each set.

D series: Abs, Adductors and Posture

This is a fun series to do with a friend, and it also helps with lower back discomfort.

1. Romanian chair – Ab knee tuck

a. Using the Romanian chair, drive elbows and forearms into arm pads, ensuring to keep lower back pressed into the chair;
b. Lift knees up towards chest, slightly lower knees and lift back up towards chest;
c. Repeat 12 times.

2. Ball hover

a. Using an exercise ball, take a plank position using the forearms onto the ball;
b. To make more challenging, make small circles with the exercise ball.

Repeat D series (Romanian chair ab knee tucks and ball hover) 3-5 times through, one after the other.

These exercises are typically found in Vitruvian Health’s training programs as work on building a strong foundation of strength, which can then be progressed to bigger compound lifts. Check out their website here.

8 exercises to improve your posture that you can do at home

November 6, 2020 by Rayan Calimlim Leave a Comment

Karl from Vitruvian Health shares a short workout you can do at home to improve your posture.

This workout is designed to open up and activate the muscles around your neck, shoulders, back and hips all in one session so that you enjoy a ‘post workout glow’! This will help you either shake off the cobwebs from your night’s sleep, or loosen up after a long day.

This workout can be done either at the beginning or the end of the day. Whether you feel super energetic or lethargic, there are options you can choose from depending on how you feel. Have fun!

You can follow Karl and Kate doing this workout below.

Warm up

Lying neck rotations
1. Lie on the ground, knees bent or straight; with your shoulders away from your ears;
2. Look up at the ceiling;
3. Slowly rotate your head first to the left, and back to centre. Keep your chin in;
4. Repeat 10 times;
5. Then rotate to the right hand side and repeat 10 times.
Lying scorpion pec stretch
1. Lie on your front with your right arm at a right angle;
2. Lift your left leg, bend at the knee and roll over towards the right hand side;
3. Make sure to keep the right shoulder on the ground the whole time. You have reached your range of movement when you feel a slight pulling sensation across the front of your right shoulder;
4. Stay here for 10 breaths;
5. Repeat on the left side.

Repeat neck rotations and lying scorpion pec stretch 3 times through, one after the other.

A series

1. Single arm lat stretch
  1. Using a bar, door handle or kitchen sink, take hold with your right hand using a firm grip;
  2. Keep your feet hip distance apart;
  3. Lean your hips backwards until your back flattens and you feel the stretch through your lat;
  4. Knees can be bent or straight, depending on how you feel the stretch;
  5. Hold for 60 secs;
  6. Repeat on the left hand side.

2. Shoulder dislocates
1. Grab a band, towel or dowel (broomstick);
2. Hold the band with both hands. Hands will be wider than your hips. The tighter you are, the further apart your hands need to be. The aim is to keep your arms straight the whole time;.
3. On your inhale, lift your shoulder up near your ears, then lift your arms up over your head;
4. Pull your stomach and ribs in;
5. Without bending your arms, as you exhale, let your arms fall over your head while pulling your chest up (ribs in) so your arms and the band are behind you. You are aiming for the band to touch your bum. The tighter you are, the less range you have;
6. Once you reach your end point, squeeze your upper back, take a deep breath in, lift your arms and as you do so, lift your shoulders up towards your ears;
7. Exhale as your arms come back down in front of you back to your starting position;
8. Repeat 10 times

Repeat A series (single arm lat stretch and shoulder dislocates) 3 times through, one after the other.

B series

1. Jefferson curls
  1. Using a kettlebell / sandbag / bag of shopping, hold your weight with both hands in front of you;
  2. Stand feet hip distance apart, lock out legs, chin in, roll shoulders forwards, pull belly in;
  3. Start to slowly roll down through a forward fold feeling every vertebrae in your spine as you lower, pushing the hips back as far as you can;
  4. Use your exhale to roll deeper;
  5. Slow roll back up to the top – this is the completion of 1 rep;
  6. Repeat 10 times.

Lying prone big 3
1. Lying on your front, hands by your side, palms up, lift hands up to the ceiling and back down, complete 15 reps;
2. Palms down, rotate thumbs up to the ceiling, inhale lift your thumbs up to the ceiling turning the palms outwards and lower back down, complete 15 reps;
3. Arms at 90 degrees, palms face down, lift up the hand, then the elbow as high as you can and back down, complete 15 reps.

Repeat B series (jefferson curls and prone big 3) 3 times through, one after the other.

C series

Active pigeon
1. Starting in a lunge, back knee down, hands on the inside of your front foot (option to have your hands on blocks, cushions or couch if you can’t touch the floor);
2. Push the front knee out to the side and back up, complete 20 reps;
3. On the 20th time, hold the knee out to the side and hold for 20 secs;
4. Repeat on the opposite side.
Side oblique hip lifts
1. Lie onto your side;
2. Bottom leg is straight, top leg bent at 90 degrees;
3. Press bottom hand and foot of the bent leg into the ground and lift the hips up and down 10 times;
4. Advanced option is to perform with both legs straight;
5. Repeat on the other side.

Repeat C series (active pigeon and side oblique hip lifts) 3 times through, one after the other.

This article was kindly provided by Vitruvian Health.

Fixing your posture with the Xhephong Press

October 21, 2020 by Rayan Calimlim Leave a Comment

Karl from Vitruvian Health shares how nurses and midwives can fix their posture using one simple move.

The way you are living is affecting your posture

For the typical nurse or midwife, the average day starts with waking up to the sound of an alarm clock (or crying kids), checking your phone, then getting straight up to start your day.

Your posture rarely rates a mention from thereon in.

As hunters and gatherers, strength and agility were key traits fundamental to the survival of the race. Sitting was for relaxation or sleeping. However, we’re now spending more time than ever sitting down – whether it be in front of the computer, in a meeting, in the car or in front of the TV. On top of that, many nurses and midwives are lifting heavy weights or being forced in awkward positions as part of their line of work.

This change in behaviour has meant that we have changed the way we move (or rather do not move) from our primitive ancestors, but our bodies have remained the same. Our bodies have not yet adapted to the sedentary lifestyle. As a result we are now forcing our body into positions they were not designed to adopt.

This has resulted in many of us having the following appearance:

rounded shoulders
tight pecs
forward leaning neck
kyphosis – a ‘hunched back’ appearance
tight hip flexors

This appearance is generally termed as ‘having poor posture’.

How does ‘poor posture’ affect your health?

Having poor posture mainly affects the spine. Our spine plays an important role in conveying messages around the body. It is shaped in an ‘S’ that is made up of interconnecting vertebrae, which gives you the gift of movement – the ability to arch, bench and twist.

‘Poor posture’ compromises the musculature designed to support our spines by assuming positions that are unique to the modern world, such as the C-shape in your spine from slouching forward. In response, the spine searches for its own stability, which often means simply hanging on the end ranges of the body through overextension (arching back) and flexion (rounding forward).

Common symptoms we see from ‘poor posture’ in our clients include:

Low back pain
Shoulder pain / impingement
Tight / discomfort in the neck
Headaches
Poor balance
Shallow breathing from a ‘collapsed diaphragm’
Tight ankles
Sore feet
Knee pain
Shin splints
Tight hips
Upper back stiffness
Weak core
Numbness and tingling

1 exercise you can start today to improve your posture

From a weight training perspective, you can improve your posture by strengthening the muscles in the posterior chain and by completing mobility exercises for the shoulders, spine and hips.

One exercise to get you started is the xhephong press.

Commonly used by gymnasts, this exercise focuses is a unilateral based movement that focuses on isolating the muscles that support each shoulder.

To perform the xhephong press:

Grab a weight plate or a water bottle (fill it up to make it heavier or empty it to make it lighter);
Push the shoulder holding the weight down, use the other hand to hold your stomach to make sure that you are contracting your core;
Make a big circle with your arm holding the weight, keeping your arm as close to your ear as possible;
While you do this, push the hand holding the weight as far away from you as possible without bending your spine. Keep your gaze on the weight the whole time, even when your arm is behind you;
As your arm, and gaze, go behind you, you will feel a little bit of rotation through the spine, shoulder and upper back;
You are aiming at keeping your hips neutral and facing forwards the whole time;
Do one full circle and repeat;
If you wish to challenge this movement even more, get close to a wall (ideally to the point where you are touching it with your shoulder) and do the circle here. If you feel quite restricted in your shoulder, step slightly further away from the wall and repeat the movement, If you get stuck at some point, you can simply oscillate up and down (just like in case of shoulder dislocates) to widen the range of movement;
Perform 10 reps forward, 10 reps backward for each arm.

Check out this video with Vitruvian Health’s Karl McKenna, where he explains how to do this exercise.