In order for your body to function efficiently, the various joints and bones need to be in alignment. Any minor deviation can cause pain and even injury as the rest of the body struggles to compensate for the alignment problem. Typically, when you are out of alignment, you start to feel it—it could be pain, discomfort, or just the feeling that something isn’t right. If you feel like your alignment is off, there are a few helpful exercises that will allow you straighten up and improve your body’s alignment.
Pelvic clock
The deep core muscles that hold your spine in proper alignment cannot be engaged properly if the pelvis is not in alignment as well. The pelvic clock exercise is a great way to re-align your pelvis. Lie on the floor on your back with your knees bent. Think of the pelvis as a clock face with the hips at 10 and 2. Rotating the pelvis clockwise, press the left hip (2 O’clock) and then the right hip (10 O’clock) into the floor in a circular motion. Repeat going counter clockwise.
Pelvic Straightener
According to the professionals at the Ireland Clinic of Chiropractic who specialize in chiropractic adjustment in Anchorage AK, many people who spend a lot of time sitting can develop a tilt to their pelvis that pulls the lower back out of alignment. This exercise is designed to re-align the pelvis. Kneel down and put the right leg out in front of you with the knee bent at a 90 degree angle. Put your hands behind your head and then push your left hip forward. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
The Bridge
The bridge works to align both the pelvis and the lower spine. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Lift your pelvis and spine off the floor to form a bridge shape. Think of slowly peeling your back off the floor vertebrae by vertebrae. Then slowly reverse the process until you are lying flat again.
Feet
To align your lower limbs, do the slide. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Run a towel around one of your heels and hold the ends of the towel. Slowly slide the foot out until the leg is completely straight. Concentrate on moving the leg straight with no twisting at the knee or hip.
Shoulders
Sitting hunched over a desk can cause the upper back, neck and shoulders to curl forward out of alignment. Restore alignment by standing up straight. Hold your arms out to either side, palms up, and pull your shoulder blades together. Think of a string pulling up out of the top of your head. Start making little circles with your arms and gently bend to one side and then the other.
These exercises, if performed regularly, will help to re-align your body and restore it to proper function. A few of these stretches and exercises a day can be very helpful to your alignment—especially if you spend much of the day sitting. If your misalignment is causing severe pain that doesn’t relieve with stretching, it is best to see a professional who can help to safely realign any areas that have become misaligned.
*Our content is not intended to provide medical advice or diagnosis of individual problems or circumstances, nor should it be implied that we are a substitute for professional medical advice. Users / readers are always advised to consult their Healthcare Professional prior to starting any new remedy, therapy or treatment. Your Wellness Group accepts no liability in the event you, a user of n-gage and a reader of this article, suffers a loss as a result of reliance upon or inappropriate application of the information.
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