Book

Roll Your Shoulders

I will show you some very simple movements to do whilst sitting at your desk.

There's more to good posture than having an ergonomic assessment at work

Easy, simple movements.

Good posture is misunderstood, and because of this, bad posture becomes the go-to status, "my posture is bad". It is highly unlikely to be bad, it probably needs more movement in your shoulders and spine, and this doesn't mean doing stretches or exercises, it means doing easy, simple movements. One of the easiest and effective movements to do is rolling your shoulders, it takes 5 sesonds, it will move your shoulders, ribs and spine.

Roll Your Shoulders, is a form of movement therapy, it teaches the importance of movement, as well as how easy it can be. The main barrier to movement in the workplace and in adult life is knowing how to move; and the movement taboo culture. Once you know how to move, movement will feel less awkward and become more natural.

The purpose and the benefits?

To empower you to move more, to learn exactly what movements you can do. The benefits are reduced muscle tension, and joint stiffness, more motivation and creativity. The aim is to move into your next posture, because we are all going to get older, if we are lucky. The question is, how do we choose to age? Are we going to choose stiff joints, and a spine that doesn't move? Or are we going to choose movement that works for us?

Common responses to do you move at work?:
- Yes, I get up for a coffee every now and then
- I have a standing desk
- I try to get up for a glass of water as much as I can
- I walk every day with my dog
These are all good, but there still isn't enough movement.

I have been treating work related postural issues for more than a decade and I still hear old fashioned beliefs about posture. For example: "my posture is terrible". (It's not). "I don't sit properly". (It doesn't exist). "I slouch too much". (Slouching is fine). It's time to blow these myths out of the water!

There's a myriad of ergonomic chairs and desks which help with work station set up. However, it’s not just about the position you sit or stand in, it is about the movement you do whilst in that position. Movement that takes 5 seconds, whilst you are working.

Movement philosophy

Everything starts with movement.
- Whether you are busy at work, or preoccupied with achey shoulders, movement is essential. Movement that will take 5 seconds to ease your shoulders and inspire creativity. Easy, simple movements that your body and mind will thank you for.
- Posture is a temporary position you sit or stand in at any given time, it is not 'an aligned sitting or standing position'. It's about changing your posture, not improving your posture.
- What people see as a negative can be viewed differently, for example, if turning your head to the side feels difficult, that might be the movement for you to do today, tomorrow and the next day. Sometimes it is about finding the struggle, and persevering.
- Your next posture is your best one, and your next posture can be taught, and the one after that, and the one after that, I think you get the picture:-).
- There's some benefit in discomfort, it's your prompt to move.

What this is not:

Book