
After 4 months of Sheltering in Place with my 2 and sometimes 3 children and visits with my elderly parents, I’ve witnessed slouching more than ever before. I’m constantly walking by and running my finger up their spine or poking them between the shoulder blades saying “sit up tall” telling them the ramifications of hunching. I can still hear my father’s words in my head “pull your shoulders back”. He didn’t give a hella beans about proper body mechanics, only how I appeared in public.
Sorry “kids”, mind you they’re 29, 31, 33 and 35. So here I am doing the same thing my Dad did to me only for a different reason. Besides, it’s payback time so I get to return the favor to my parents as well..hee hee. Actually, I know too much being in the field of health and wellness all of my life and seeing the ramifications of “being a slouch”.
My mother wanted me to run for Miss Daly City in 1974 which I wasn’t too keen on but went along with just the same. Heck, I could win 1,000 dollars to McDonald’s department store and what 17 year old girl doesn’t like to shop?!!
Where in the hell is Daly City you ask and who cares? Sorry if I’m offending anyone that lives there and loves it. My 94 year old Father in Law still does.
Sorry, Dad. Actually he too choose the sun and is renting his out for a pretty penny.
“Top of the hill Daly City” as the saying goes is about 20 min south of San Francisco in California; The fog bank fo the world. We used to go to Searsville Lake during the summer and swim.
(Click link for fun facts) https://news.stanford.edu/searsville/faqs.html
I remember driving through Millbrae which was the first time I saw sun. I kid you not. My husband, who I met in high school can attest to that. Our goal in life was to live at least that far south of Daly City. Thankfully, we are now 40 minutes south of there.
Millbrae and Burlingame were only 15 minutes from Daly City. As a side note, there was a song made about Daly City written by Malvina Reynolds in 1962 called Little Boxes on the Hillside. She got her inspiration when driving through the town one day. The lyrics just about sums up good ole Daly City; Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes on the hillside and they’re all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same. It became a hit for her friend Pete Seeger in 1963 when he released his cover album.
Hearing the song for yourself will give you a much better idea of what I’m talking about and makes me laugh everytime I sing it. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/malvina-reynolds/little-boxes


That was our neighborhood until I moved out to go to college after I took the title of Miss Daly City. Who hoo…. LOL! That was enough for me and I quickly abandoned that train.
I’ll never forget the dreaded bathing suit competition and wearing the highest pair of heels I could walk in and standing as tall as I could with one knee bent in front when I stood in front of the judges, to appear slimmer than I was. With short thick legs my mother taught me this trick early on. Good Posture did however get ingrained in me which I value now more than ever as I’m getting older and gravity takes it’s toll.

I’m sure many of you have been experiencing less than optimal posture during COVID-19. Most of us are sitting more than usual at the computer, working from the bed or sofa, watching more T.V., and exercising hand to mouth activity as we watch our expanding waistlines right before our eyes. Most of us are noticing more slouching as well. I’m a stickler for correct posture as my family and clients will attest to since I’m always on their case.
I take great pride in my posture being good so you can imagine how shocked I was when just a few days ago, one of my daughters asked me why I was waddling. She proceeded to tell me I looked like an old lady when I walked lately and I was in good shape and this was not alright.
Out of the mouth of babes.
I was aghast and that was the wake up call I needed to head the call. So I’m now practicing my beauty pageant walking with a book on my head pulling in my abs and standing erect. I guess that title came in handy after all.
I did a body assessment of what was creating it and I noticed my hip bothered me when I tried to walk properly. So the improper posture was a compensation my body was making to protect me.
About 15 years ago, I had severe pain in my hip from running and walking so many miles and when I cut my mileage down, the pain dissipated. I was able to compensate by changing my gate unconsciously of course to make up for the imbalance but I can’t get away with this anymore. Clients and friends often say “are you limping” and I shrug it off. Hell, if I’m not in pain pain, I just ignored it and I thought they were just jealous of my good posture. Ha ha!
In evaluating my body mechanics I could see one leg was shorter than the other which is most likely what’s throwing my hip and knee off. And then I looked down and saw the dreaded bunion that I inherited from my grandmother that was passed down to my mom and my aunts
(thanks mom) .. always the mothers fault right?!! lol.
So, that puts strain on my gate as well. Plus, even though I’m in good shape, I’m aging and it takes a lot more mindfulness every time I move to lift through my abdominals, pull my shoulder blades together and open my chest. Let’s face it gravity works in one direction. 🤨
I’ll let you know how the lift in my right shoe does to help my posture. Sometimes it can be as easy of a fix as that, fingers crossed.
If you need a WHY to get your shoulders back keep reading.
Posture is Vital Physically, Emotionally and Spiritually
Your body is like a building starting from the base of you feet up. Imagine if the foundation of a building wasn’t solid, eventually that building would not sustain itself optimally with the risk of issues or falling down. Look at good ole Daly City: Actually they’re still standing so that’s a plus.
The same is true of our bodies. If we continue to slouch we will eventually have a whole mirage of issues in our bodies, so stand tall and feel the shift in your body, attitude and spirit.
BENIFITS OF CORRECT POSTURE
- Less Neck and shoulder pain:
When we hunch our shoulders forward we shorten our chest muscles (pectoral) shortening them and lengthening our back muscles creating tension and pain. - Reduced Headaches:
Blood can flow optimally through the neck to the head and not impinge the neck muscles (occiput). Forward head creates a lot of tension and overworks the muscles as our head weighs between 7-12 lbs - Less back pain:
Our hips can either thrust forward or backwards creating compression on our hips, shorten our psoas (a muscle that wraps around our hip and through connecting to our lower lumbar vertebrae creating pain. - Less wear and tear and deteriorating of your joints:
If you constantly are putting more pressure on one part of your body you will throw everything else out of wack and wear out your joints, cartilage, stress ligaments and tendons and impinge disks and facet joints thus create pain. - LESS TMJ:
(Temporal Mandibular Joint pain) can be released by keeping your head in alignment with your spine so your jaw (mandible) can let go. - Better Digestion:
When you are uplifted through your spine, your organs aren’t compressed and can move freely. - More lung capacity:
There is more space created in your diaphram when your sit upright allowing the lungs to expand and get more oxygen. - Higher Self Confidence:
Because you are open and receptive and studies people respond to people with upright posture which helps your self esteem. Things flow better as well. - Boost in Seratonin:
When blood flow is flowing freely the centers of your brain get a natural boost we are all looking for. - Chakra Balancing creating connection:
There are 7 main Chakra Centers in the body from the top of our head down to our pelvis and when these are open and aligned in these energy centers we can access universal wisdom and can access optimum peace a joy.
EXERCISES TO HELP YOUR POSTURE
- Stand with shoulders, hips and knees in alignment with soft knees first of all.

- Shoulder blade Retraction

- Head Retraction

-Bridges To Srengthen Lower Back

Great Exercises and Stretches for Good Core

I do love healthline and these great helpful hints and exercises below
https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/posture-benefits#1
So, don’t be a slouch, listen to your children and stand tall being proud of who you are and who you are becoming.
Please let me know how you do with these reminders or perhaps new insights.
If you liked this please let me know, share with others or leave a reply.
It is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for taking time to visit me.
Blessings for an upright bright day,
Excellent post.
I have nominated you for Ideal Inspiration award. Please click the link to know details.https://vividimpressions.in/2020/07/11/ideal-inspiration-blogger-award-2/
Hey Murali, I’m not sure I’m posting the link properly when sending to other nominees. Can you clarify please? is this correct https:/uniquelyfitblog.com/2020/11/ifresl-inspiration-blogger-award-2/
I think it’s right. Send it to them. So you will come to know.
I tried and it said not available. It looked right to me… I’ll keep trying.
👍
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
PROPER POSTURE…GOOD HEALTH FOSTERS! 😀 iT DOES!
Why thank you Jonathan! I am honored and appreciate that. I like the openig used to send on. Have a great day!
You also, blessed!
We are the Best Blessed-:) Did you get the Ideal Blogger award I nomimnated you for?
THANK YOU CINDY. I’m honored, but cannot accept. I’m not as young as used to be—and typing is getting harder to accurately do. I do have hand tremors that are increased of late. So—THANK YOU! I did put a notice up top of the blog saying it has become an award-free blog. Sorry friend!
You are soooo welcome! As you should be for your great writing! I do understand and it takes more time than expected. Sorry to hear about your hand tremors-:(. Read the fine print right? lol… Eye sight gets haredr for some of us as well. 🙃 No worries at all❣️
Stay Well and Keep writing!
eYESIGHT…BEING TREATED–cAN YOU tell? 😀
Too funny! love your humor!
eVERY ONCE IN A WHILE…i post poetry about my typos, 😀
LOVE IT!
(BIG BREAQTH IN…) TIME for another- onr?
ha ha
L,O,L,
Why thank you so much. I am humbled and honored coming from you.
Especiallly when I know this was rather long and I deviated off the subject a bit. I expected I might hear from you about that. tee hee. Again, thank you so much. You made my day.
Thank you for all of that information I am probably one of if not your oldest followers.i am in good shape pretty physically fit however I have noticed what I used to say about older people is now happening to me .it is hard to hold an erect posture from lower back everything seems to fall forward even though I am conscious of it I do have to work at standing straight. Funny story about the bunions I have also inherited from my mother as well as wearing pointed tow 3inch heels all day at work in the fifty’s . I look forward to your posts even though I am no spring chicken I find them inspirational informative and sometimes humorous which is so good for the soul. You shine such a beautiful light. Blessings
I commend you for being online and being on line and continuing to grow and learn and open to new ideas in your body and mind. Kuddos to you. You are most welcome and thank you for taking time to comment and share your insights. Gravity does work in one direction unfortunately, so we have to work harder as we age. Try to lay on your couch or on the bed with a bolster or some pillows running down your spine to open your chest. Stay there for a minute to 5 min which should help lengthen those muscles and practice those exercises and let me know how it goes. Sorry about your bunions. It sounds like you’re doing ok inspite of them. I don’t reccommend surgery if you can avoid it but sometimes it’s necessary. I’m glad you get some humor and inspiration from my writing which we all need these days. Thank you so much for sharing your kind words. I’ll take a picture of what I’m talking about and try and send it or you can google exercises for chest openers. Have a beautiful day to a beautiful soul as well!
Really great post! For the first few weeks of the lockdown my posture was completely off and my back started hurting. I realised it was because I was sitting in front of my laptop and not getting enough exercise and now that I do more yoga and exercises I feel much better.
Thank yoou so much! It’s so easy to have happen and I’m sooo glad you are getting yoga in to help. I see how difficult it is nowadays to tear myself away from the computer when I’m writing again more.
I literally was on my laptop all day because all my classes were online plus I had assignments and exams so I think that’s what really messed my back up but yeah yoga and exercising definitely helps!
oh man, so sorry to hear that! That’s waaaay to much sitting for a day. Hope you can get a breather tomorrow! Me too for the record!
So perfect for these times!!! Do not forget to take care of yourself. I’m sitting up straight as I type!
Thanks, I need those reminders as well! Good to hear you’re sitting tall! Thanks for sharing!
Most informational post🌺
Thank so much!
Most welcome🌷
Loved the story and the helpful reminders plus recommendations at the end. Thanks
Thank you for letting know and so glad it was helpful!
great post, cindy. not just the great advice, but the stories as well. i do remember daly city years ago.
Thank you so much. Glad you liked the advice and the stories. Do you live in the area?
Posture and how we stand, sit etc says a lot about who we are on the inside. As a wonen trained in dance and yoga, as ivdt older appreciate my body so much more for what it helps me accomplish. Being good to it so we can be good to others. Your humor here has me chuckling at my own memories growing up🤣
Thanks for sharing your wisdom of posture reflecting our inside spirits. I too was a dancer. we sure have to walk our talk alright. So glad I could make you laugh and it brought back some funny memories. 😂❤️
Yes ma’am lol…..we could probably go into whole soliloquys on posture🤣
My pleasure 🤗
you got that right!
TOTALLY!
This is the precise weblog for anyone who wants to seek out out about this topic. You realize so much its nearly arduous to argue with you (not that I truly would need…HaHa). You positively put a brand new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, simply great!
This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me. Thanks!
A very interesting post! Love all the stories and the Little Boxes song. I still run through the line once in awhile. From your descriptions, you might be the one on the far left in the picture ( with your knee bent) or the other one with the bent knee??
dwight
Oh so glad you liked it. Yeah it was a fun song to hear all the words to finally. It’s a tune in my head that just comes out, especially when driving through. I’m the second in from the far left.. hmmm can’t remember but my mom trained me to bend my knee to make me look thinner.. lol
Very nice!
❤️❤️❤️
Good advice Cindy
Why Thank you so much! ❤️ Cindy