Good morning sweet friends,
Do you ever slump your shoulders? I often I catch myself with a rounded upper back and shoulders. I know as a middle school girl I was embarrassed by my chest... or lack thereof. I vividly remember my friends complaining of having too much in that department, but I always slumped forward in shame. My mom would always come behind me, tug my shoulders back and tell me to hold my shoulders back and head up high. “Remember your posture, Caro,” she would say on rewind. Now, with my own girls and clients, I hear myself saying the same cues hourly. All this talk about posture had me diving into how to improve our body posture. God then whispered, “nothing happens in isolation— everything is connected, body, mind, and spirit. Your physical posture is important but how is the posture of your heart?”
All this posture talk coincides with a term we use at TransFit “Exercise is Worship.”
Really?!?! Are 50 kettlebell swings considered worship?
But here is what we mean by “exercise is worship”: authentic worship is less about the movement of our body and more about the posture of our hearts.
The posture we assume when we come to know Him instead of trying to do for Him.
The posture we take when our spirit is in awe of the gracious and loving mercy-giver who created everything, yet who loves us so.
The posture we need when we feel at our weakest but through a relationship with Him we can be made strong.
Exercise is worship! Let’s stand tall with our best posture keeping our eyes and heart focused on Him.
Worship is an attitude rather than an activity.
Worship is a gift not an obligation.
Worship is the posture of our heart toward our Savior.
Let our worship be in every minute, every movement, and in every day. Let our hearts remember His loving-kindness toward us, which never ends. Why? Because, He is worthy. He deserves the praise of our whole heart - our best posture.
Let our worship as the posture of our hearts be the way we are inside, instead of something we do or who we are on the outside.
Moving into this holiday season help us all to remember:
It is not the posture of our body, but of our heart, that is most important. Everything we do “flows from our heart.” When we worship, let our hearts be lifted in adoration, gratitude, and humility to our gracious God. Let’s stand taller today, sweet friends, shoulders pulled back, head held high because we have been given the most amazing gifts.
“Lord, direct our focus always toward you and teach us to follow you in gratitude and love. Adjust the posture of our heart to be fixed and focused on your love and grace. Amen”
For your physical posture here are 4 exercises you can do today to improve your posture. Maintaining the natural lumbar curve in your low back is essential to preventing posture related back pain. This natural curve works as a shock absorber, helping to distribute weight along the length of your spine. Adjusting postural distortions can help decrease back pain.
Frequently getting up from a seated position and doing these 4 quick and easy realignment exercises can help you re-educate your muscles and improve your posture.
1. Wall Angel
Stand with your back against a flat wall with your feet about four inches from the base. Maintain a slight bend in your knees. Your glutes, spine and head should all be against the wall.
Bring your arms up with elbows bent so your upper arms are parallel to the floor and squeeze your shoulder blades together, forming a letter "W" Hold for 3 seconds. Then, straighten your elbows to raise your arms up to form the letter “Y.” Make sure not to shrug your shoulders to your ears.
Repeat this 10 times, starting at “W,” holding for 2 seconds and then raising your arms into a “Y.” Do 2-3 sets.
2. Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneel onto your right knee with toes down, and place your left foot flat on the floor in front of you.
Place both hands on your left thigh and press your hips forward until you feel a good stretch in the hip flexors.
Contract your abdominals and slightly tilt your pelvis back while keeping your chin parallel to the floor. Hold this pose for 20-30 seconds, and then switch sides.
3. The X-Move
Kneel onto your right knee with toes down, and place your left foot flat on the floor in front of you.
Place both hands on your left thigh and press your hips forward until you feel a good stretch in the hip flexors.
Contract your abdominals and slightly tilt your pelvis back while keeping your chin parallel to the floor. Hold this pose for 20-30 seconds, and then switch sides.
4. The V-Move
While standing, stagger your feet so one is slightly behind the other. Grasp the handles, or the ends, of the resistance band and lift your arms upward and slightly outward away from your body about 30 degrees.
Keep a slight bend in your elbows. Stop at shoulder level; hold 3 seconds and return slowly.
Make sure to keep your shoulder blades down and back straight. Repeat this exercise for 8-12 repetitions for 3 sets.
Click on the button below to view a demonstration of each exercise from Caroline! You can also view other exercise and stretch videos on our YouTube channel HERE.
We want to encourage you to finish the last week of November nourishing your body and with the best posture! Please let us know how we can help you live transformed. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a one-on-one, please email us at transfitathens@gmail.com.
Blessings,
Team TransFit