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Health & Fitness

Keeping Your "Tie High" Can Help Your Health

Your posture is vitally important to how you look and feel. Learn how the simple phrase "Keep Your Tie High" can help your whole body look and feel better.

Walking down the street and looking at all the various postures, I wonder why people look the way they do. Posture is not necessarily as age-dependent as you might think. Some younger kids walk with their heads down and shoulders hunched making them look old and tired. On the other hand, I see people in their 70s and 80s with their shoulders back, head up and a nice spring to their step.  

Have you ever considered how important good posture is to your ability to age gracefully, remain independent and stay healthy? Your posture makes up the important framework (muscles and bones) that surrounds all of your internal organs. Poor posture reduces proper blood and oxygen flow preventing your heart, lungs and stomach from working properly. On the other hand, good posture helps your organ systems work efficiently by getting all the essential blood, oxygen and nutrients they need.

Posture also has a strong emotional side as well. I like to say that your posture not only tells a story about you but allows the world to see exactly how you are feeling. If your posture is stooped, it can say to the world, "I am having a bad day." If your shoulders are back and chest is out, people think you are confident, self-assured and feeling good. So posture affects your health and tells the world a story about how you are feeling and doing.

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In posture class, if someone is not standing up straight we all say "Keep Your Tie High." This simple sentence acts as an excellent reminder to keep your head up, shoulders back and show everyone the beautiful bow tie (or necklace if you prefer) you're wearing around the neck. Thinking about keeping your "Tie High" is a great reminder and a perfect way to begin the process of improving your posture and your health.

For more information on improving your posture and the opportunity to take a simple posture test, read my entire newsletter article on posture at http://sequoiahealth.com/advisor011512.

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