As if there weren’t already enough reasons to ask, “How much longer till the first day of Spring?” Here comes one more…

Cold winter weather is bad for your posture!

According to the National Association of Sports Medicine,

“(Poor posture) is due to colder winter weather often increasing the likelihood of people rounding their shoulders and hunching the spine and neck forward in a rigid position to stay warm. Cold weather also generally causes muscles to tighten and shorten which negatively impacts joint mobility.”

Is posture really all that important? After all, for most of us, our supermodel days are long behind us. Here’s why it matters. Poor posture can contribute to

• an increase in tension headaches and migraines,
• low-back pain,
• weak muscles,
• high risk of injury

How’s your posture right now? In winter, we spend a lot more time indoors, slouching on the sofa, scrolling through our digital devices. Plus, if we do venture outside, we’re rounded over, tensing our bodies as we try to insulate ourselves from the cold.

Here's how Yoga can help.

Yoga helps us to lengthen and strengthen tight muscles across the chest, shoulders and abdomen. Even a simple movement such as rolling your shoulders up, back and down a few times goes a long way toward improving posture. Why not try it right now? Take a deep breath in, shrug your shoulders up toward your ears. As you exhale, pull the shoulders back and let them melt down toward the ground. Bet that felt good!

Now imagine a whole hour of gentle, feel-good stretches. That’s what I’m offering in every Gentle Beginnings Yoga class, my payment optional Zoom class.

It’s the perfect starting point if you’re a new or returning yogi. You can learn more and register right here.

In the meantime, hop on over to my YouTube channel to try this Take 5 Yoga video for tight shoulders. In just 5 minutes, you’ll be standing taller!

Until next time,

~ Rosemary