In level 1 of the Healthy Posture Club, we will teach you how to get into neutral spine alignment.

The 4 Principles of Neutral Spine Alignment:
1. Chest Lift® - stacks the upper back
▪ Motion = scapular depression "slide your shoulder blades down your rib cage until your sternum lifts"
▪ Muscle = lower trapezius
2. Head Nod® - unloads the neck by restoring neutral alignment of each cervical vertebrae
▪ Motion = cranial flexion on C1 "rock your skull back ontop of C1 as if you are holding an apple under your chin"
▪ Muscle = sub-occipital flexors
3. Pelvic Curl® - unloads the low back by restoring neutral alignment of each lumbar vertebrae
▪ Motion = Posterior Pelvic Rotation/Lower Lumbar Flexion "suspend your pelvis with your lower abdominals until you feel your tailbone underneath you"
▪ Muscle = lower abdominals
4. Inward Spiral® of the Hips - restores symmetrical loading through the hips, knees and ankles.
▪ Motion = hip internal rotation "from a pelvic curl internally rotate your hip until you have equal weightbearing through the big toe and little toe"
▪ Muscle = adductor longus + brevis

During your first week of the program you will learn 2 daily workouts.
1. Daily Joint Clearing Routine - a series of mobility exercises and joint clearing techniques designed to help you access neutral spine alignment.
2. Daily Neutral Spine Conditioning Workout - your daily strengthening workout. These progress into an upper body conditioning workout you perform twice a week and a lower body conditioning workout you perform twice a week.

You Healthy Posture Challenge at this level is to perform your hourly mobility exercise (4 seated chest lifts) then scoot to the edge of your chair at start the next hour in NSA without back support.

Lifestyle Modifications: You will likely need to purchase a body pillow to help you sleep in neutral spine alignment. Please watch the Healthy Sleeping Strategies video.

Have A Symmetrical Day!