Yoga for total posture revamp?

[Nozza]

I'm pretty certain my posture is messed up all over the place. I do various stretches and exercises for things that have been pointed out but injuries keep popping up.

Would doing yoga reallign, strengthen and stretch me to develping good overall posture?

[Bill Hartman]

Personally I hate yoga. Not that it can't be effective in certain circumstance but rather that it is always discussed with a sense of mysticism about it. Also, yoga for athletes is dumb.

That being said, any form of training that you do requires that you reinforce more optimal postural habits 24/7 otherwise habitual activities and postures win the posture contest. That includes sleeping postures (they can cause stretch weakness from being in one position too long).

Also look to your program design and exercise technique for answers. Some professional assistance in this area may be helpful.

Bill

[Nozza]

Thanks Bill.

I know what you mean about the mystical BS. I'm a skeptic in all things but I was thinking of it as a regimented whole-body stretching programme.

What sort of professional help would be suitable?

I'm a bit shy of "alternative" health people having had a bad experience with a chiropractor. Is a physio the best bet?

This ART thing - is it "alternative" or scientific? I notice chiros do it which puts me off.

[Eric Cressey]

Originally Posted by Bill Hartman

Personally I hate yoga. Not that it can't be effective in certain circumstance but rather that it is always discussed with a sense of mysticism about it. Also, yoga for athletes is dumb.

For the record, I agree 100%. 99% of the time, yoga causes more problems than it fixes. Tying your lumbar spine into a knot is not a good thing; people don't realize that being limber is just another way of saying that you have range of motion in all the wrong places, and absolutely no joint stability.

[RedWifey]

Bill,

Can you elaborate on good sleeping postures? I have used pillows between my knees while pregnant, and now feel like when I sleep on my side I'm a lengthwise sandwich (totally folded over).

thanks!

jamie

[Bill Hartman]

Folks tend to assume the same sleeping postures because of comfort.

This can cause tissues to creep (adapt to prolonged stretching) which can result in stretch weakness. For instance, side sleeping without a pillow between the knees can promote hip weakness from prolonged stretch of the gluteus medius. Lower trap and rhomboid can also be overstretched depending shoulder positioning while on the side.

Folks that sleep with pillows under their knees promote shortening of the hip flexors. Comfy for sleep, bad when it comes time to stand upright.

These are difficult to address because, of course, you're asleep most of the time.

Bill

[RedWifey]

So....what are you saying? Are there any "good" sleep postures?

Sleeping "most of the time" would be preferable to sleeping little of the time

[Natural5]

For posture, see if you can get your hands on the following. Alexander Technique, Rolfing, structural pilates. I would recommend to do it with a trained therapist.
In my oppinion Rolfing is the best. As far as I remmeber it's 10 sessions. Every session is different part of the body. It really hurts and it's pretty expensive, but you see a difference right away.
It's one of the things that if people get once, they pretty much remmember.

[Bosu]

Personally I hate yoga. Not that it can't be effective in certain circumstance but rather that it is always discussed with a sense of mysticism about it. Also, yoga for athletes is dumb.

Say it aint so Bill! So all these pro athletes who praise Yoga for their improved performance are off-base?