Pilates Mom on Slouch Patrol
Sitting at the breakfast table every morning with my 11 year old son. He slouches over his plate, head bent forward of his body, shoulders rounding, spine leaning in a curve toward the table. School Mom just wants him to finish his breakfast and put his shoes on, but Pilates Mom can’t stand it! My alarms are going off; Oh no! He’s getting Forward Head Syndrome! There is still time before it develops into the next phase of FHP, Forward Head Posture. This posture can have more debilitating effects, as a person gets older; bad back, neck pain and headaches.
“Sit up straight! Finish your breakfast!” Aargh!
I decided to write about this after reading Ali Palmers wonderful article, “Is sitting the new smoking?” It is not just adults that sit too long all day with poor posture but children as well.
Carrying heavy backpacks, sitting in school all day, looking at computers for homework and or video games is pulling him into this posture.
I walk into the library and look at the kids sitting at the computers playing video games, I tell them I am the slouch patrol. “Feet on the floor, straighten your spine” they all do it and I say, “doesn’t that feel better?” They don’t answer me, they probably think I am a little crazy but none-the-less they do it because somewhere they have heard that slouching is bad for you.
The reality is I can ask my son to sit up straight all I want but given the amount of time that he spends sitting it’s time to give him some tools to know what “sitting up straight” should feel like.
In younger kids freedom of movement is most important but you can still teach them how to breath into their rib cage and that their tummy muscles help them sit up straight. Most importantly, keep it fun. Let them slouch then tell them to feel a rope pulling the top of their head to the ceiling while someone has glued their feet to the floor.
As kids get older they can handle more exercises that strengthen the core muscles. Breathing into the ribcage can help with focus. Plank is a good way to get the shoulders strong and access the core. This gets the entire body working. Alignment is key, as we want the kids to start developing awareness as soon as possible. I also have my son working on extension; opening his chest and engaging his shoulder blades down his back. This helps counter act the forward slump of sitting all day.
I say, “Wiley, connect your hands behind your head and lift your heart to the ceiling, push down into your feet for an anchor point.” He says, “Mom, can I just finish my homework first?” rolling his eyes.
“I love you too much to let you be the person whose head reaches the curb before the rest of your body,” I tease both my kids. But they do it because they know it is my job, not only as a mother but it is my work as a Pilates instructor to help people become more flexible and more aligned. Starting when kids are young is important. Habits are powerful.
For further information or to schedule an appointment please contact Wendy Borof at Alison Palmer Physical Therapy and Wellness Center 970-729-0678 or pilatesbalance@icloud.com We are located in the Cimarron Lodge at the bottom of lift 7. Wellness is the full integration of mind, body and spirit. We look forward to helping you towards a healthier life.