soft knees

The holiday season has arrived, and with it, the formidable holiday party. If, like most people, your back starts aching after an hour (or less!) at the hors d'ouevres table, consider this advice for your next yuletide function:

1. Put your weight over your heels. When we balance the weight of our bodies towards our toes, it can disturb the alignment of our weight-bearing joints. The dense and sturdy heel bone is much better equipped to bear weight than the delicate bones of the forefoot.

On the left, Brian has parked his pelvis
forward, which places excessive
pressure on the delicate structures in
the front of his feet--over time, this
may result in bunions or other foot
conditions. On the right, his pelvis is
properly positioned posteriorly and his
spine stacks well over his heels.

2. Soften your knees. It is a common habit to lock the knees and groin while standing. This can wreak havoc on the knee and hip joints and may inhibit circulation to your lower legs and feet. Conversely, if the knees are too bent, the quadriceps are obliged to work overtime, leading to fatigue and unnecessary tension.

This model's knees
and groin are soft,
which helps her to
stand for long periods
without fatigue, pain
or damage.Standing with
locked knees or a pelvis
that is "parked"
forward impinges the
femoral arteries, veins
and nerves, and can
predispose people to knee,
hip and leg pathologies.

3. Roll your shoulders back. Hunched shoulders are a common problem in modern society. Not only does this wreak havoc on your neck and upper back, it also emits an anti-social vibe. We suggest rolling back one shoulder at a time: a little forward, a little up, a lot back--and totally relax.

When standing, let your arms hang
towards the back of your torso
and your thumbs face forward.

Here's to a holiday season of connecting with your friends and family!

Cheers,
Esther

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