By Susan Arruda

Susan Arruda is a 6 Time Figure Champion and mom of 2.

Kids are a joy as well as a challenge and because you are much more limited in your area of personal freedom and time, the demands surrounding time for exercise increases substantially (unless of course, you’re fortunate to have a nanny or available help from family or friends at your disposal, which I was not). Although you may be expending energy running after your children, this, unfortunately, does not fall into the realm of fitness, nor does it justify having no exercise program. This may very well be a time where you will have to adjust your mindset and expectations, as I did, and ultimately had to succumb to the massive lifestyle changes. 

My bundles of joy in the earlier years!

Sleep deprivation and fatigue can make for some seemingly insurmountable odds, but thankfully, our bodies are amazing when it comes to survival and making adjustments for getting through difficult times and challenges.  I can speak from personal experience here as my first child was very alert and never slept through a full night until well after a year followed by an extremely colicky second child.  My children were a mere 14 months apart and I did not have any help outside the marriage. If you don’t have a gym membership with a daycare option, you need to develop a firm mindset regarding getting some sort of activity in, not only for your body’s sake, but equally important, for your state of mind. You’ll undoubtedly be a better mom and wife if you’re happy with yourself, so don’t make the mistake of feeling guilty for taking some time out to make that happen. Dads may have to pitch in and devote some quality one-on-one childcare time in order to help their spouses in this area as it will also be beneficial for the men also.  Ladies, this is generally a period of time where you may have to settle with getting small bursts of activity here and there and realize that it is just a season.

Get creative in building physical activity into your day. Invest in a walking/running stroller, get physically active with your children when at the park or playground, (incidentally, we have a 2 part playground fitness video segment on YouTube) play tag and chase your children, purchase a time saver exercise DVD workout that gives you the option to target train in 10 or 20-minute segments (we have some).  Anyone and everyone can devote 10 targeted minutes to train, regardless of how tired you may be! This is literally the approach I took in getting back into training after having my children and coming to the harsh realization that life had completely changed and making adjustments was necessary in order to accomplish staying fit. I can still vividly recall my turning point; the day I made that conscious decision to start doing smaller bouts of activity and at the end of that day, at 1:00 A.M., I started back into it with 10 minutes of abs. A resource I am now looking to avail others of as I begin my journey of creating fitness workout DVDs for busy moms and others leading very hectic lives.

Bottom line: Exercise in concentrated bursts and sustain consistency and remind yourself that anything is better than nothing and don’t neglect the power of resistance training!  Resistance training shapes and firms loose, saggy skin and aids in naturally boosting your metabolism. You burn more calories simply by building and having lean muscle tissue on your body. Shift your focus onto body composition rather than scale weight as a pound of muscle is 3-5 times more metabolically active than a pound of fat and it is much tighter when compared to a pound of fat. (a Lb. of jello vs a Lb. of baseballs) Focus primarily on body composition – bodyfat percentage and measurements instead of scale weight.

Toss the “I’ve got kids” excuse to the curb and be determined to stay active, healthy and happy!

Article by Susan Arruda

Be wise and don’t regret the season!

Learn to say NO politely, of course!  It’s actually quite liberating and empowering once you get past the initial discomfort zone and you also get better with practice.  Get comfortable with declining food or not joining in with rounds of drinks (or bring a bottle of your own Perrier), and/or making the decision not to attend the invite for yet another party.

If you’re surrounded by a family whose love language is demonstrated through food, get ready for it and mentally prepare yourself ahead of time. Play out scenarios in your head. European families (I have personal experience here) are especially guilty of this. Recognize it for what it is and learn to deal with it tactfully, respectfully, and without frustration and dread. Remember they mean well and are just set in their ways and will not understand that you’re trying to make changes for the better. You will need to be firm and stand your ground. You don’t want to offend, so be gracious and polite. – “Thank you, but I’m going to have to say no to that.”
Prepare a series of scripts of what you can, say ahead of time: “I want to pace myself, I cannot eat that, I think I’ve developed an allergy to that, I got a really bad stomach ache the last time I ate that, I’m trying to watch what I eat more carefully, my stomach feels unsettled,” or whatever suits your individual situation and comfort level.

One approach that I’ve tried that seems to work surprisingly well with aggressive food pushers is, “I would love to have it, but just not right now. I’m so full! Would it be possible to set it aside and take it to go?” Reassure them that yes, you would love to have it; this is key for not offending. You can compromise and have half, perhaps and practice Marco Girgenti’s motto: “Halve it and have it.”  Make peace with the fact that they don’t understand and may not be supportive of your decision or the changes you’re making/made in your food and lifestyle choices.

Develop resolve, don’t cave in, and realize that you cannot control what others do, but rather, you can only manage your own actions and reactions. Be merry and enjoy the company as well as all the great food, in moderation and free from regret later on.

Celebrations and holiday get-togethers

Tips for offsetting disastrous after affects of the big feast!

Holidays, celebrations, family gatherings, and get togethers seem to be synonymous with an abundance of food, high calorie, tasty, tempting treats and alcohol.  There are several ways to approach the big event without suffering the consequences of guilt, regret, bloating, and serious disappointment in your lack of self-control! Some Tips:

HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION
First and foremost, you must decide ahead of time what your plan will be; whether you will make efforts to be wise and make moderate, healthy choices or whether you plan to indulge in some of your favourite treats. We strongly advise that you set some boundaries and refrain from going no holds barred and having no restrictions. If you are going to choose to indulge, try this strategy to help balance and offset the additional calories. 

PLAN TO EXERCISE PRIOR TO THE BIG EVENT
Try to train for at least an hour, if possible, or up the intensity of a shorter training session if you’re short on time.  Aim to incorporate some of your training as cardio. Burn, burn, burn to earn! Want the ability to eat more without packing on the extra pounds? Then you need to balance it out (much like your bank balance) with greater energy expenditure to avoid the consequences of weight gain. Cut back on your eating throughout the day to allot for the unhealthy and greater caloric intake coming your way. 

HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!
Eat a healthy breakfast and hydrate well (we’re talking water and/or supplement with herbal teas) throughout your day leading up to your evening event and eat light, perhaps only vegetables or broth.

If your plan is to indulge, opt to fast for the day (unless you’re diabetic, or have any other serious medical condition) and save your eating for the party.  It’s not something you would normally do, but because it’s a few and far between practice, it’s not a bad idea. This helps you to keep your calories in check and balance your overall calorie intake, especially if you already know ahead of time that you’re going to indulge.  Drink water (flavoured with lemon, cucumber, etc.) or green and herbal tea throughout your day, and if you feel some serious hunger coming on, munch on vegetables such as broccoli or celery. 

DO NOT WEAR ELASTIC WAISTBANDS OR YOUR “FAT PANTS!” This practice just encourages an unhealthy amount of limitless eating and you will be unhappy with yourself after-the-fact.  Remind yourself that you will have the opportunity to eat those beloved treats or your favourite food again and instead, try to practice moderation. Telling yourself that it’s the last time you will eat your unhealthy food of choice will only encourage you to eat more of it and it is not realistic. Wear fitted clothing and this will help discourage overindulging.

MAKE THE FOCUS MORE ABOUT THE COMPANY, THE SOCIALIZING AND THE PEOPLE, AND NOT THE FOOD.  Catch up with family, friends and enjoy the interaction with people, not food.

Allot for Alcoholic beverage calories (if you’re choosing to drink) and don’t consume them on an empty stomach.  Be sure to spread them out throughout your evening and/or be a super slow drinker and make the drink last as long as possible (this tactic will also help discourage others from pressuring you to drink more)! Pre-plan a ride home and of course, don’t ever drink and drive!

If you really bombed with your eating at the party and feel bloated and unhappy with yourself the next morning, make some more adjustments the next day:

• Perform cardio on an empty stomach within 15-30 minutes of waking up.

• Drink coffee (minus the sugar and cream) on an empty stomach to jumpstart your metabolism prior to your exercise. 

• Exercise for at least an hour. Try to also take an evening walk to rev your metabolism when it is generally slowing down.

• Hydrate and drink  and drink lots of water throughout your day to flush toxins and waste out of your system faster. Regular flat water is best and/or carbonated (although it can add to feeling bloated) and you can choose to flavour it with slices of citrus fruit or cucumber, herbs, etc. to enhance flavour and add nutrients.

• Natural herbal teas are another source of fluid can also help push things through your system faster. Fluids combined with the exercise will work synergistically to assist flushing toxins out faster.
   

If you hosted the festivities, have containers and doggie bags to give away the leftovers. Be sure to get the unhealthy treats out of sight or out of your house if you can’t exercise discipline and moderation with tempting foods. Don’t keep them in your home and risk breakdown.

These measures and tips, when put into practice, can help you avoid eating overload and maintain your healthy weight. Implement them to avoid the inches and the scale from the slow and steady climb. 

Planning is vital for success. However, take heart in knowing that one day of feasting will not undo all your overall healthy habits. The key to long-term success is consistency!  Stay positive and make efforts to move forward to correct the damage done and avoid self-bashing; it accomplishes nothing and can actually set you further back. Take action with the above points to correct the damage swiftly! You can’t do anything about the past so strive to keep a sound, sane perspective and move forward in a positive and productive direction.

Remind yourself that health and fitness is a lifelong  journey so make it fun to be fit and make sure it also fits your lifestyle. 

Article written by Susan Arruda

By Susan Arruda

Susan Arruda is a 6 Time Figure Champion and mom of 2.

Having a fit and healthy body doesn’t necessarily correlate to always feeling the part. As individuals, we set a precedent and a standard for ourselves to succeed and excel in many different areas of our lives.  

“Self-esteem is more than a number on a scale; that number can often fluctuate. Your self-worth must be rooted and grounded in something far more substantial.” – Susan Arruda

If you’re a perfectionist, continually striving for excellence and progress, that is an often enviable trait, (Essential for a surgeon!) however, it does present a double edged sword, in some instances.

When pressure to maintain a standard exceeds the point where balance and enjoyment of our everyday lives is seriously affected, we need to take a step back and re-evaluate. Perception and outlook are directly associated with how we feel, which can impact how we act.  Negative feelings implicate our mood, no question about it!

In my case, If I have overindulged and missed the mark on a particular day, the next day can present very negative consequences if I don’t steer my mind into thinking the right thoughts. This scenario is a perfect set-up for a ‘fat feeling’ day. “I feel fat. I feel bloated. I feel gross.” These feelings can also just seemingly surface for no apparent good reason. (Time of the monthly cycle can trigger these emotions as well as just having a ‘bad’ day.) Many of us have heard the above phrases uttered by someone we know, or have indeed, spoken them ourselves, no matter what our fitness level.  

Missing the mark, whether it be in the eating or exercising department, can negatively affect our mindset and make event the fittest person feel like the fattest person in the room.
Been there, done that. Do it more often than I want to, actually.

Body dysmorphia is a term often used to describe this condition and it basically refers to having a distorted perception of one’s own body and it can affect both men and women. What you see in the mirror doesn’t line up with what is truth.  In serious cases, this can cause severe stress and result in a highly diminished quality of life and  can even lead to requiring professional help. Societal pressures may often have a large impact here.

Let’s get a reality check; one bad day doesn’t undo all the good you generally put into practice on a consistent basis. Ask yourself, “are you really all of a sudden fatter today, or just feeling the part?” The healthiest thing you can do for yourself in these circumstances is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on track ASAP.  Don’t beat yourself up and lament about the past. You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about it. Clean it up and balance the damage by doing more exercise, adequate hydration and eating right. Move ahead and get beyond the incident.

You can never get away from yourself, so practice being a best friend to yourself instead of your own worst enemy.  Make a decision to move forward and stay in a positive mindset, despite the slip up. 

Nobody is perfect and fat days happen to fit girls too!

Susan Arruda with Marco Girgenti
Images by Arsenik Photography, Bernard Clark Photography and CS-I.

It’s two days following her double title wins at the 2009 WBFF World Championships and the newly crowned PRO is still at it.

As the sun kisses the horizon late in the afternoon on this crisp autumn day, Susan Arruda is still pushing herself to the max and finding new limits to conquer. Running uphill backwards while dragging a 20 lb. bag, lunging around the oval track with the occasional sprint, it’s easy to forget that this is a 40 year old mother of two (natural child birth), who juggles a full time job, extra swimming and personal training clients on the side, along with a full time relationship.

Susan has the distinction of 5 consecutive first place finishes in her last four shows as a competitor in the Figure category. How, you may ask? Well, this year she competed in the 35+ and Short Figure Categories at her first WBFF World Championships, won both respective titles and earned her PRO card. In 2008, Susan clinched her third consecutive FAME title by performing what has now been dubbed a “legendary” Figure routine, which incorporated “never before seen strength moves on a Figure stage” on a BOSU™ Ball. That she did so costumed as Wonder Woman® (her favorite childhood superhero), is really no “wonder” at all to the people that know Susan. “Everything’s a workout with you,” her fiancée is fond of saying. You might think that such a fierce competitor would have spent most of her life on stage, but nothing could be further from the truth. Susan decided to “give it a go” by competing in a show at the tender age of 19. Following that, she would be absent from stage competition for 17 years, but not from the competitive stage of life, where we all vie for victory. When I had the chance to interview Susan for this article, I wondered how much of that fitness “persona” would emerge. What I found instead, might come as a surprise to some.

ON TRAINING

M.G. Obviously, you work very hard at this. Why do you keep training at the intensity you do, if this is not a profession for you?

S.A. Fitness is not a “one day” or seasonal thing for me, it’s a lifestyle. I remain in the same condition pretty much year round, so I don’t really have an “off season”, so to speak. I continue to do this to challenge myself, strive to be the best I can be, and to feel good in my own skin.

M.G. Describe your training these days.

S.A.  Dynamic, fast paced and always highly instinctive. I don’t repeat workouts or get stuck in a “must do” number of reps or sets. Many times I will get to the gym and not know what I am going to train until I actually get on the floor. I love to train outdoors with bands, against my own body weight etc… Even though I have a lot of muscle, I do not train with heavy weights anymore.

CHALLENGES and SEASONS OF CHANGE

M.G. Some people might look at a person in your physical condition and think “she’s got it all together”. Would you say that’s true?

S.A. I don’t know if anyone has it all together! (laughs).

M.G. You mean, there have been challenges? (Writer laughs in kind).

S.A. For most of my life I battled low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and I had major anxiety issues. I know this might be surprising to some, considering the title wins, my appearance etc…

M.G. Did exercise help you to overcome those challenges?

S.A. It did, because it contributed to a sense of accomplishment, which yes, can help with raising someone’s image of self. It also played a strong role in helping to provide respite from dealing with all of my challenges. Sure, you could call it escapism, since that’s what I wanted to do at that point in my life, however it did not solve all my problems. I eventually had to face those challenges head on and it was a terrifying experience for me. When I train, I am in my own world and that time is strictly for me. I don’t socialize at the gym, I am there to train. Even now, training still helps me to keep stress and challenges at bay. I would rather expend energy training, than waste it in being angry or stressed out. It was not always like that for me. I was not a person that was looking forward to her future. In fact, I would go as far to say that I did not want to be on the planet, at all. Thankfully, my faith in God, being with the right man and some positive changes have given me strength and more reason to go on. Now, I can honestly say I have never been happier. The man whom I now share a beautiful relationship with is extremely supportive, but again, it wasn’t always like that for me. I found the courage to leave a damaging marriage and start all over again. It was scary leading up to that moment, but when I made that change, I instantly knew it was the right move for me and I never looked back. Even though I may not be where I want to be, thank God I am not where I used to be. I am flawed, just like everyone else, I heard Marco once say; “you can’t “Photoshop” life,” so true! All I can do is strive to better myself and hopefully help others to do so as well.

KIDS!

M.G. You have two teenage kids. How did the pregnancies affect your training?

S.A. Well, for starters there was severe sleep deprivation. My first child was very alert and not a “sleeper”. Less than one week after giving birth to her, I tried to go back to training, but that did not go very well. I would be up six times per night on a regular basis. I guess you do what needs to be done and somehow I managed that schedule for the better part of four years since my two children were 14 months apart. During that time period, I was lucky if I managed three workouts in a week. For someone who had spent so much time training consistently and intensely for years and hours on end, this marked a major shift. I had to get out of the thinking that if I could not train for two hours, then it would not be worth training at all. I had to come to a realization that something, no matter how little it may have seemed to me, was better than nothing at all.

M.G. How far into your first pregnancy did you train?

S.A.  I was in the gym until the night before delivering my first child, doing weights and cardio.

M.G. We have all heard of some women gaining a lot of “baby” weight in their pregnancies. How did you manage to stay in shape during/after your pregnancies?

S.A. I was already fit prior to my pregnancy. I have heard a lot of women say things like “I want to get in shape before I have my baby”, which on many occasions becomes a temporary state, as many times after the delivery, they retain too much weight. I trained hard and was always active, especially at key times such as puberty and in the third trimester of pregnancy, which are hot zones for fat gain. Being in shape prior to the delivery is a key factor in how your body will react to pregnancy.
As far as weight gain, though everyone is different, I had set my expectations based on the following loose equation: factoring in the placenta at roughly 5 lbs., an average baby weight of 8 lbs. plus fluids, the common sense estimate for me was a 20 lbs. total gain. I was very keen about not exceeding that number, especially having a petite frame. An extra 5 lbs. would likely be more noticeable on someone my size, than perhaps on someone who is 5 foot 7.

M.G. What advice would you give to women who have kids and full time jobs?

S.A.  If you can only find 20 minutes to exercise, then make them 20 quality minutes. Actually, during my second pregnancy, all I had time for would be 10 minutes here and there to follow an exercise video. Even if it’s 15 minutes in the morning and 15 at night, whatever you can do is better than sitting on the couch just thinking about it.

M.G. What’s the question people ask you the most?

S.A. How do I get abs like yours?

M.G. And your answer?

S.A. Well, it’s a loaded question. Let me put it to you this way; let’s suppose I wanted to build a car from scratch. Could you tell me how to do it along with all of the variables involved? What I can say is that I engage the transverse abdominus (TVA) in everything I do, I always lock the core. I incorporate a wide range of exercises to target my abs, but core comes into play in everything I do. Whether you know it or not, your core IS involved in everything you do, from sitting to standing and everything in-between. I do hanging leg raises, which I think are a substantial part of my development in that area. As for crunches, I never load, as I believe that can make your abs protrude.

M.G. You have won several titles and your popularity is growing. What do you hope that “celebrity” will enable you to do?

S.A.  I hope to be an inspiration to other women, especially moms; to believe that it is never too late to remain fit for life. I hope to help them understand that it is possible to remain consistent, all natural and perhaps challenge them via my own story. I have a realistic everyday life and I probably deal with a lot of the same issues that other women deal with. It all boils down to how badly you want something. I had to find a way, and sometimes I had to take from other areas in my life to make it happen, I skipped the clubs, the social outings, the whole party scene, but I believe it did payoff.

M.G. Favorite body part to train?

S.A. There have been phases throughout the years. I think that accumulatively, I have probably had “training infatuations” with all the different major body parts at some point. I must say that legs have always been a favorite of mine though.

M.G. What’s next for you?

S.A. Tomorrow morning! (laughs).One day at a time. I can’t see myself doing a lot of shows though, life is pretty full at the moment and I am striving to maintain balance. I did contribute a chapter in a book I am very proud of called… “Starving to be Fat” which is available through Amazon. I am also very excited that my first DVD, “Elite Water Training” is about to be released! It’s a water workout like no other that promises to challenge even the most seasoned athlete. I have recently been named an “Advanced Genetics” Elite Athlete www.advancedgenetics.ca by the company of the same name, which I feel very honored about, since their products are second to none.
I would also like to thank the gym that sponsors me, Xtreme Couture, a top notch facility with a no-nonsense training environment. A huge thank you to IFM, which has been so gracious, and Arthur “Arsenik” Kwiatkowski, for the amazing images you see before you.

Susan’s websites can be found at: www.seriouscurvestraining.com and getfitfaster.ca

Article by: Marco Girgenti

Marco Girgenti is a freelance writer, elite weight loss coach, and author of the book “Starving to be Fat”.

Article featured in Fit & Firm Magazine – July 2010 Issue

Water workouts are a great way to incorporate high intensity without the high impact wear and tear on bones and joints! I believe water training is the most overlooked and underutilized environment that can offer challenge and change to your workout regime. The liquid gym benefits are two-fold; natural resistance of the water provides a muscle toning effect while minimizing the impact in the high intensity (especially in plyometrics) cardiovascular work, thanks to the buoyancy factor. Plus, water is refreshing, especially in the warmer summer months.  Another bonus; if you’re really not a fan of heavy sweating, it’s ideal for you!  Although you still do sweat during the strenuous workouts, it’s simply not noticeable and felt in the same way. While on the topic of sweating, many people forget the importance of hydration while exercising in the water.  Just because you’re immersed in it, doesn’t change the fact that you need to replenish lost fluids during exercise and that means, “don’t forget your water bottle,” as it’s equally important as in land training.
The water training pay-off is grand:

TOTAL BODY STRENGTH
You’ll see a boost in muscle power and strength. It also helps increase flexibility and range of motion, muscle tone, coordination, circulation, renews energy levels, and can enhance your sleeping patterns.

TIGHT & TONED
The hydrostatic pressure of the water provides 12% more resistance than similar movements on land, resulting in higher workout intensities, yet lower heart rates (by about 10 beats per minute) while improving muscle tone.

SYMMETRY AND MUSCLE BALANCE
Training in the water forces you to work opposing muscles concentrically and eccentrically, creating a balance in strength, flexibility and muscle symmetry.

CORE AND ABS
Training in the water provides a safe environment to challenge and improve your balance which simultaneously challenges and strengthens your core. Maintaining upright vertical alignment and good exercise posture requires a consistent abdominal challenge throughout the entire training session.

INJURY PROTECTION 
The buoyancy of the water provides protection for your joints and spine from the impact and trauma typically associated with high impact land exercise. With the buoyancy and protective properties of the water, you’ll feel more confident about taking it up a notch and increasing your intensity. For those who have sustained an injury but don’t want to give up their training, water workouts provide the perfect exercise option, especially since swimming is not a requirement, therefore eliminating this as a prerequisite skill. The only thing required for water training is your swimsuit (no goggles) and plenty of energy and enthusiasm!

The flexibility component of your workout is important in preparing your muscles for the greater workload to come when done near the beginning of your workout, and for optimizing recovery and increasing flexibility after your training when your muscles are increasingly warm.  Never stretch cold muscles; it can be the equivalent of stretching a rubber band just out of the freezer -POP! Ouch! Capitalize on stretch training when your muscles are warm and pliable, making them more conducive to increasing your range of motion (ROM). 

There are so many benefits of flexibility training so it’s important not to neglect it. It’s critical for maintaining muscle balance. Other benefits of improved flexibility include: Flexible muscles reduce the risk of injury during exercise and daily activity, reduces stress and tension in the muscles you just trained, helps to dissipate lactic acid, minimizes the occurrence of muscle cramping, reduces the risk of injury during exercise and daily activities, enhances performance in exercise and sport as well as in everyday activities of life, promotes mobility, and flexible muscles assist in good posture which minimizes stress and maximizes the strength of all joint movements. 

Flexibility techniques can provide two functions: relaxation and flexibility. There are many types of alternative methods used to promote relaxation such as: yoga, Pilates, meditation, tai chi, visualization exercises and breathing exercises. Some of the different types of flexibility techniques for stretching include:

STATIC STRETCHING, the most known and common of all techniques. The muscle and connective tissue (tendons and ligaments) are gradually lengthened and a position is held for 10-30 seconds and repeated 2-3 times.  This promotes a relaxation response, increased blood flow to the muscle and facilitates elongation of the muscle. The goal is to encourage the muscle to move to a state of increased flexibility beyond its original normal position.

DYNAMIC RANGE OF MOTION: These exercises involve dynamic movement of the muscles at each major joint. A slow and controlled active range of motion (ROM) is performed starting from a large range of motion and moving to a smaller range. This type of stretching is useful to prepare the muscles for static stretches that are more intensely targeted. This method of stretching should be performed when muscles are warm and pliable. 

PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION (PNF) technique involves an initial isometric contraction of a muscle group followed by a static, lengthening stretch.  This is a more advanced technique that can help in areas that are resistant to improved flexibility.  For best results when stretching, be sure you have warm muscles and work within your personal limits and understand how to alter the difficulty of a stretch.

http://www.getfitfaster.ca/lower-body-stretch-runner-focus/?rq=stretch

The very definition of posture means to put or place. Optimal posture requires learning to position the body in which the least amount of stress and strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during sitting, standing, moving, lying and weight bearing exercise. Alignment refers to the relationship between the different body parts. Think about dropping an imaginary plumb line from your earlobes, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. Ideally, you want these cue points to line up.

Bad posture is a lot worse for you than you may realize. Studies have revealed an association with bad posture to breathing problems, falls, depression, joint and disc degeneration, nerve compression and a decreased quality of life! Those are serious health complications that can be avoided. 

Common contributors of poor posture include: weak muscles, tight muscles, prolonged static positions, high-heeled shoes (greater than 2″), having flat feet, internal or external rotation (pigeon toed or duck walk) of the feet, excess bodyweight, carrying a heavy bag repeatedly over one shoulder, falling asleep in wrong or funny positions, etc.

Do your best to avoid prolonged static positions and do a self-analysis check regularly throughout your day. Good posture can enhance your health and provide you with increased energy and stamina, improved circulation, better breathing, a taller and slimmer looking you, and assist in having greater confidence. Don’t underestimate the seemingly small things of our everyday lives like posture, as they really do amount to a lot over the long run. Be sure to read our article written by Susan entitled, ‘The Everyday Overlooked Abdominal Workout,’ which illustrates the importance of posture as it pertains to abdominal training.