You all have them, multiple versions of all your “comfortable” positions. These are the postures you refer to when you stand, sit, sleep, lift, or drive. In every case, they either serve you or set you up for potential discomfort. A neutral posture is what horseback riders try to achieve, the stance martial artists use when sparring, your usual sleeping position, and your position in your car when you drive. This is a position where your muscles and skeleton have the least stress while dealing with the force of gravity, and the more efficient you are, the less energy it takes to maintain your balance. This is important, because if you are unaware of your posture, the muscles tighten unnecessarily and random aches and pains start to suddenly appear. It’s worse than the zombie nation. That left shoulder/upper back pain lingers for months, and all the ice, heat, ibuprofen, CBD cream and massages barely dents it, and you suffer constantly. Why?
You spend way too much time in inactivity; busy, maybe, but not moving, and so you create adaptive shortening. This slows down the blood flow to all your body parts, thus reducing the oxygen levels and your electrolyte balance, which in turn leads to muscle stiffness, tightness and spasms. It’s not like you have done anything to cause it; it’s because you haven’t done anything that’s caused it. Muscles are meant to move, but when they’re not moving, they should be in their normal, resting positions without any extra stress or strain. So, your homework this week is this: observe yourself and see if you are in a “neutral” position when you sit, stand, sleep, etc., and you feel as relaxed as possible. This way you can then focus on other things and not worry if what you’re not doing is actually causing you grief.