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Welcome to Straighten Up Alberta, a simple three minute program
designed to help you reach for better posture.
Practicing Straighten Up Alberta daily is an important part of an active,
healthy lifestyle for adults and children alike.
The following simple exercises promote good spinal health, improve posture
and prevent potential spinal health problems.
This program is designed to promote a healthy spine through better posture
and is intended for healthy children and adults. If you experience difficulty performing any of these exercises,
please stop and consult a health care professional.
As you straighten up, here are a few tips to remember.
Calm your mind and put distracting thoughts aside.
Straighten up by standing tall, feet together and arms by your sides.
Breathe calmly, deeply and slowly.
Move slowly and smoothly. Movements should not be jerky.
This video will take a bit longer than three minutes, but with practice
you will be able to do Straighten Up much faster.
Improving your posture can be fun. Let's get started.
Straighten Up
Standing tall, feet together
align your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.
Pull your belly button in towards your spine
Bending Star
From Straighten Up pose
move your feet shoulder-width apart and raise your arms to the side
Breathe in slowly and bend your spine to one side as one arm goes over your head
Slowly return to starting position
Do this twice on each side
When you're done, return to Straighten Up position.
Twisting Star
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and your arms out to the side.
Pull your belly button in towards your spine.
Twist your spine to the left, and turn your head to watch your left hand go behind you.
Pause and slowly returning to face forward.
Now we're going to do the same to the other side.
Twist your spine to the right.
Pause when you feel a stretch and slowly turn to face forward.
Do this one more time on each side. Remember to stop twisting when you feel a stretch.
Good work! Now straighten back up.
Crossover Star
Standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands in the air
bring your left elbow across your body and lift your knee up to meet it.
Now try it on the other side.
Keep alternating sides with us a few times.
Great! Now back to Straighten Up.
Trap Openers
In the Straighten Up position, breathe deeply and let your head hang loosely to the front.
Keep your shoulders back and gently roll your head from side to side a few times.
Stop and bring your hands up to your neck to gently massage the back of your head and neck.
Finish by dropping your arms to your sides, relaxing your shoulders
and slowly rolling your shoulders back and then forward for fifteen seconds.
Reach for the Sky
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms at your sides.
Gently weep your arms up from your sides and up over your head.
Touch your hands together before you release them back out and down to your sides.
Repeat this three more times and then return to the Straighten Up position.
Bending Circles
Standing with your arms bent and your hands in the air, rotate your shoulders backwards
Making small circles in the air with your arms.
Now bend gently at your waist from side to side.
Make sure you keep your belly button pulled in.
Perfect! Now back to Straighten Up.
Shoulder Pull
Bring your hands up behind your head and draw your elbows back.
Gently press your head back into your hands, but resist the pressure
by carefully pushing on your head with your hands
Count to two and then stop pressing your head into your hands.
Let`s try this three more times.
Before we continue
let your head fall forward and massage the back of your neck.
To finish, rest your hands at your sides.
Tightrope Lunge
You're doing great! Standing tall,
take a step forward with your right leg while bending your knees slowly.
You can let your left heel lift off the floor.
Make sure that your right knee is only bent enough to be over your ankle
but not past your toes.
If you wobble a little, don`t worry. That`s normal.
You'll get better at this with practice.
Straighten back up so we can try this on the other side.
Take a step forward with your left leg while bending your knee slowly
You can let your right heel lift off the floor.
This time be sure your left knee is only bent enough to be over your ankle,
but not past your toes.
Remember to keep your back straight.
Now straighten back up.
Twist and Sway
Three more to go
Step out to the side with one foot and for fifteen seconds sway gently from side to side,
breathing calmly and deeply.
Let your arms move freely.
When you're done, return to Straighten Up position.
Triangle Stretch
Start in the Straighten Up position. Shift your weight to your right and bend at the waist to your right,
extending your left arm above your head.
Hold this for ten seconds.
Now straighten back up.
This time shift your weight to the left, bend at your waist, and extend your right arm
above your head.
Hold this for ten seconds.
Once more back to Straighten Up.
Shake it Out
This one is pure fun. Ready?
Shake all your limbs loosely for fifteen seconds.
Congratulations on completing your daily reach for better posture!
We'll see you tomorrow!