Praxis für gute Haltung / Clinic for good Posture

Attitude and posture––inner and outer position*

In order to simplify the term „Postural Alignment Specialist“ when I introduce my profession to somebody I call myself a „posture trainer“, in German „Haltungstrainer“. I teach good posture, „gute Haltung“. And you’ve just learnt a new German word (besides „zeitgeist“ ;) with no effort when you imagine that „Haltung“ (posture) cognates to the English „the way you hold yourself (upright)“. In this understanding the movement is already included in the posture. Also when you think of your muscles need to be active to hold/keep your joints in a certain position e. g. standing or sitting which may feel little active but is definitely.

When I tell somebody that I’m a „Haltungstrainer“ many ask me if I teach the mind or the body. The reason is that „Haltung“ in German can mean both - „posture“ and „attitude“. If we are looking for an English word two cover these two meanings it would be „position“. „I teach position.“ - „The inner or the outer position?“, many Germans would ask.

The common idea in German speaking countries how posture (outer position) and attitude (inner position) go along with each other is that good mood results in good posture. Some people even think that it is enough to care about your mind in order to fix your posture. Hereby „posture“ is reduced to „being upright or not“, not considering other features of posture as e. g. rotation or elevation.

As I know that I’m asked about inner or outer position I’m prepared to answer that I teach both, attitude and posture. If clients tell us that the exercises we’ve given to them are great but they don’t feel like performing them it is our job as trainers or therapists to find out what motivates them. My experience is that we cannot convince somebody that it is fun doing exercises. Sometimes we can reveal their motivation. And sometimes we just have to say: „It looks like your focus is on something different right now. No problem. Muscles move bones. It’s never too late to start improving your posture.“

*: This article was inspired by Caelum Trott’s post „You’ve been told physio can “fix your back.”“ on Linkedin.

photo: giraffe by HowardWilks - pixabay.com (edited)

O heil'ge Nacht – Übersetzung von „O Holy Night“

Für die Young Voices Bielefeld und Stefan im Dezember 2023 © Roland Jestremski

Stichwörter: Chor, SATB, Weihnachtslied

Bewegungsangebot zu Weihnachten:

wandern, stehenbleiben, hinknien, aufstehen, nach Hause eilen.

Foto von Pixabay.

Nutze die Bewegungsangebote Deiner Umgebung! Damit steigerst Du auf spielerische Weise Deine Fitness.

Ergonomics do not improve your posture

But they can help you not to worsen it. By changing the position in which you work (or play) you might reduce your symptoms (pain, tightness, etc.) but you don′t address the source of them. Improvement of posture and function only can result from an active lifestyle combined with an individual posture training, e.g. the Egoscue Method.

photo: hostel during lockdown

„Imagine“ – Übersetzung, translation