getting used to the posture

It took me a long while to get used to the posture. initially I had pain in my upper back, between my shoulder blades and stretching type pain in my hips.

don't know why it would be harder to breathe, will have to think about that one

I try to stay in the posture all the time, even walking outside. at first I thought people must be staring at me wondering why I suddenly walk differently, but I don't think anyone has noticed. or at least no one's said anything to me. no sense in trying to keep it private, as this is a long term thing. I plan to walk like this for the rest of my life.
as far as walking uphill on the treadmill, yes its possible. just pay attention to your posture and you should be fine : )

Hi Beejay

I think I may have the answer on this one. If you are having difficulty breathing while in posture it may be because you are breathing with the interstitial muscles (between the ribs), ie by expanding and contracting your ribcage with little involvement of the diaphragm.

Many 'disciplines', eg yoga, various meditation techniques, Buteyko Breathpower (asthma treatment) and others, promote breathing deep into the belly by lowering the diaphragm (the sheet of strong muscle connected to the ribs and to the spine) to inhale. When your body is ready to exhale and it raises again automatically and compresses the lungs, squeezing out the used air. It is an involuntary muscle anyway, so we normally don't have to pay it any attention. Breathing is the only function of the diaphragm, apart from stopping the lungs and heart from descending into the abdomen. The interstitial muscles can also be used, and are very useful during periods of heavy exercise and during the recovery phase, but are not the main way of breathing.

If your previous posture has been very slouched you may indeed have had to use your interstitial muscles as there may have been little room for movement of your diaphragm against your abdominal contents. Now you are standing and sitting differently you will be getting more oxygen into your lungs. Once you learn to breathe into your belly you will find that it is so much easier to breathe, and you can relax your shoulders downward into the posture much more easily. Your diaphragm may not have been doing much work at all, and will now have to 'learn' to operate your lungs. Habits of longstanding often take a long time to shake and establish new (and correct) ways. Just perservere. It *cannot* harm you.

Yes, it is an all the time posture. Again, if your previous posture was very slouched it will feel wierd for a while, and you may get quite a bit of stiffness initially, but it should go eventually if you are doing it correctly. You may feel like a pouting pigeon ;-) with the new posture , but I am sure that others will just see you carrying yourself better. Body language is very telling. Celebrate those boobs!

Hope this is the answer because it is a key to wellbeing.

Cheers

Louise

Hi again Beejay

Yes, our sheep sometimes prolapse, but I would probably too, if I was harassed by two foxes at once while in labour with twins. Yes, this happens, and often neither of the lambs will survive. We have only ever had two, both ewes that were down in condition a bit at lambing, and we have seen evidence of the foxes' behaviour in the remains they leave behind the following morning. These foxes are very game, suburban foxes. The cunning of a fox is legend. It is just heartbreaking. We now use alpacas as herd guards and have cut the predator problem considerably. Labouring females have always been prey for other animals. You can read that as you like.

If you look on the Web for images of prolapse you will find lots of images of male rectal prolapses. Why male? You tell me. Maybe men do need some postural changes. The male pelvic floor is surely not a lot less vulnerable to poor posture than the female pelvic floor?

Christine's work is still in its early stages. There are many places where you will read or be told about the importance of good posture. Maybe this is for a reason.

Do have a think about the breathing thing though. It could be a significant factor for you.

Cheers

Louise

I've had back issues for years. neck and shoulder pain and the occasion bout of 'omg I can't move' type of back pain lasting anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

none since incorporating the posture. well, a bit of neck pain lately, but nothing serious.

I can't say for certain, but I think this posture is actually good for preventing slipped discs, back pain, and the like. of course if you already have a history of disc problems, double check it with your orthopedist.

'the rest of your life' IS a long time, and it is overwhelming to think about it that way. but suppose you were overweight and wanted to be thin, the only way to really do that would be to change your eating habits ...for the rest of your life. its like wearing glasses or having to stretch every morning to keep my joints from locking up or anything else I have to do to maintain/improve my quality of life.

at first its terribly depressing, but then you sorta get used to it and it becomes part of your life and it isn't so bad. the posture felt pretty natural to me after a few months of it and I couldn't even remember how I used to stand. now I'm back to square one, it seems, after the pg and all, which is somewhat frustrating, but I know I can do it.

as far as it being bloody unfair, ITA. but as I tell my kids, life isn't fair. its ok to get mad about it, but at some point you've got to accept it because there's nothing you can do about it. men have their issues too.

I am sorry this had you in tears today. I hope tomorrow is a brighter day.

Only in the new book, Beejay. It sounds like you are making all sort of discoveries about your body. This is a very good sign, that you still have many aspects that you can improve.

You will have a lot to integrate into your life and the way you move. Go easy on yourself girl. It will probably be a bit like learning to write with the opposite hand. You will think you are getting nowhere for a while, then suddenly you will realise that you have had half a day with less discomfort. That's when you know you are getting somewhere. And be prepared for setbacks. They happen too. You think you are back to square one, but you are not. Each time you will get back on track more quickly, adn slowly you will experience less backwards steps. You may never get back to how you want to be, but chances are you will find ways to make it all much better than it is now.

Nobody should experience the degree of pain you are experiencing. It may not be the prolapse per se at all. You mentioned in your other string that you were thinking about going to the chiropractor for your hip. Hmm, maybe he can do something about the broken glass too, and your foot. It could all very well be related, and the prolapse has just brought it all to a head because some inflammation somewhere else is being aggravated by a mal-positioned bladder. Here's hoping!

Cheers

Louise