#Gravity #Posture #Stress #Mindset #Problems #Progress #Attitude #BabySteps #Life #Health

by SHAWN TRAUTMAN @shawntrautman

Fighting gravity is a losing game.

Naturally, we all fight it from the day we’re born. The longer we live, the greater the pull towards the center of earth. It’s said that our bodies, our organs, our wrinkles (I had to lay down to get this shot to show mine off), and our weight, in general, all start dropping towards the ground.

The more we sit or stand or walk or run or sleep with bad posture, the more our bodies become compromised and susceptible to gravity’s pull.

Sometimes posture problems are created just by what we use on a daily basis. A few examples include the chairs we sit on (the padding, the height, the angles), our shoes (arch support, ankle support, padding), our mattresses, the height of our desks (the angle of our arms and hands), our computer monitors (are we looking up, down or angled?).

What does bad posture even mean?

And, doesn’t it make sense then to learn about things like ergonomics, spinal function, circulation, posture, sitting, weight distribution, movement, sleep, atrophy, etc.

“Sit up straight!”, “Stop slouching!” “Pull your shoulders back!” “Stop hunching!” “Bend your knees when you bend over!”

Ever heard any of these?

Wouldn’t it be nice to know why people say them? What do they mean? What do they affect, both now & later on?

Our moms & dads were onto something, but what?

If you knew you could affect how your future self looks by changing something about your posture today wouldn’t you do it?

Making some changes, today, could actually change how you feel tomorrow. Like, literally. Some changes will just feel right and you’ll then carry that function with you the rest of your days and you’ll never have to miss it.

You see, fighting gravity is a losing game. Learning to flow with it is a game worth playing.

The thing is, there’s so much to learn that most people don’t even bother. And, guess what? There are tons of companies out there who have made products to sell to people who don’t want to learn how to do it right. Believe me, these companies don’t want you to know how. It’s literally in their best interest for you to remain ignorant.

“Sure, Shawn! But what is it? What can I do?”

Be willing to talk & listen. Have a conversation with a physical therapist or a chiropractor or two (as many as you can) and ask the real questions. Ask them “what would help most people today but they just won’t do it?” Or, “what things should people know about their body that most people don’t?” Heck, watch Ted talks on the subject.

Start there, but don’t stop.

Be willing to objectively assess things like spine angles, flexibility, body fat % dispersement (where you carry your weight) and what they mean, stress tests, bone density.

Sure, over time, our bodies generate and degenerate. We can slow down and even reverse many effects just by changing our daily routines a bit.

And yes, everything I’m speaking of here is unrelated to food. Food is it’s own multi-faceted topic.

The more I learn about each of the topics above, the more I wish I had learned them earlier. Functional lessons with understanding of the how’s and why’s are critical for our own well-being.

The more we learn about our bodies and health, the less reliant we will be on quick-fixes and medicine.

There are no quick solutions that fix everything. We have to take the time to get to know and understand our bodies, our daily activities and our own patterns in order to make them better.

I’m learning. Daily. Do I know it all? Nowhere near – nor will I ever. Am I more knowledgeable than a month ago – undoubtedly. Am I done? Not even close. Am I fighting gravity? Not as much as I once was.

Here’s an easy way to make progress and fight gravity less. Again, any forward action is better than none. When you stand still, gravity weighs on you. Learn one thing today and celebrate your success. Then, learn another tomorrow.

The more action you take the more momentum you’ll have. The more momentum you have, the less you’ll feel the effects of gravity. Some would say you’ll be flying high.

And, last, what if gravity also weighs on our attitudes? If so, then doing nothing will just add to our own despair, whereas momentum will fight it and pull us up.

“Baby steps, Bob. Baby Steps.” You got this.

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