In the modern world of sedentary lifestyles and prolonged screen time, maintaining good posture has become more crucial than ever for our overall well-being. Most people we see here at Innerbloom Chiropractic have some form of postural dysfunction.
While getting adjusted is by far our favorite method of correcting postural issues we also know the importance of postural education and exercise. While an adjustment has a profound effect the amount of time we spend in a posture can counteract this quickly. Therefore it’s important to do things at home to help the adjustment hold.
By far our favourite exercise for posture is the posture pole.
So what is a posture pole? How do I use it? And what are the benefits? Read on to find out how this simple foam pole can contribute to improved alignment and a healthier lifestyle.
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What Is A Posture Pole?
A posture pole is a lightweight tool designed to help individuals improve their posture by enhancing spinal alignment and promoting better body awareness.
It is a long half circle rod made from durable materials such as hard foam – similar to a foam roller. The length of the pole allows users to lay their whole spine down the pole to assist in posture improvement.
How Does It Work?
The idea is by spending prolonged time laying on the pole you help to stretch and strengthen certain muscles that control posture. You also stretch spinal joints and put them in a position ideal for your posture. When you look at the posture you are in when you lay on it, it’s pretty much opposite to that of how you spend most of your day (hunched over).
How To Correctly Lay On A Posture Pole
The best thing about a posture pole is that it is incredibly easy to use. I say to my clients this is the easiest exercise you will ever do.
To lay on it you simply put your head on one end of the pole and lay your spine down the pole. Your sacrum (or tailbone) should lay on the pole. You then tuck your low back into the pole and stretch your arms out to the side with your palm face up, this provides a nice stretch to your pecs.
The posture pole must support your head and tail bone – this is very important!
How Long And How Often Should I Lay On A Posture Pole
We suggest starting daily in what we call an intense rehab phase. This can be anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 weeks depending on your symptoms and state of your posture. We ideally want 10 minutes on the pole but sometimes we find that people can only handle a few minutes to start with.
So what we suggest is doing as many minutes as you can with the aim of building up to 10 minutes.
Then when the intense rehab phase is done we suggest laying on the pole every couple of days or when you really feel like you need a good posture stretch.
Other benefits of the posture pole
The other amazing benefit of the posture pole is that it actually helps you relax and get into a rest and digest state of your nervous system. This is great at helping you wind down and de-stress and helps other areas of your body such as your digestion and focus.
While laying on the pole its also a great time to practice your breathing or even do a meditation.
Try adding in a posture pole to your health routine and see what benefits you achieve. Luckily we have posture poles in stock so if you want to try one let us know!
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