Category: Body in Align

Covid-19’s Effect on Our Body

Published on by Feel Good

Our bodies are designed to move!  There is no way around this.

Unfortunately since we have been hit with the Covid-19 pandemic our lives have become even more sedentary.  Where before we actually had to walk from our parked car or train station/ bus stop to work and back – these days working from home means we only take a few steps from bedroom to kitchen to study or home office.  And there we sit all day long with minimal breaks in poor posture.

Even our bathroom breaks are a mere few steps there and back.

BUT…. Our bodies are designed to move!

Our sedentary lifestyle is slowly killing us. Our organs are slowing down, our muscles are becoming stiff, tight and weak. Depression, anxiety and hopelessness is rife during this time which is exacerbated by the lack of movement. Our bodies are meant to move in order for it to function at it’s optimum.

Without movement your body starts to slow down or shut down  – 

Respiratory System:  Compromised Breathing –   Sitting hunched over our computers or mobile phones is not doing us any favours.  The rounding forward of the shoulders puts undue pressure to our chest which closes in, and impinges our lung capacity.  We tend to breathe very shallow which means we are not getting enough oxygen into our body.  When the chest is open with shoulders back, breathing becomes easy and deep –  filling up your lungs and body with the much needed oxygen to feed the brain and more importantly, every cell in your body.

Immune system:  Compromised breathing leads to a compromised immune system.  And with the pandemic sweeping the world, we need to build up and boost our immunity.  Vitamins, minerals and a healthy diet of fresh, natural, organic food plays a huge role in building up the immunity and so does your posture.  Poor posture means poor, depressed immunity.  Good posture means good health!    Change your posture and you change your ability to keep corona at bay and if you contract the virus, you will have a fighting chance of recovery.

Lymphatic System:  The lymphatic system aids the body in eliminating toxins.  However, it requires movement to do so!  The lymphatic system doesn’t have a pumping mechanism like the heart or the lungs – it relies purely on you moving your body!  The simple act of a brisk walk gets the lymphatic systems to push out those toxins thereby improving your immunity and boosting your energy.

Here I have only discussed three systems in your body that are effected by movement or the lack of movement.  Health Through Motion is where it’s at!  Now, think about the effect the slightest change in the above three systems will have on the rest of your organs and body.

Your body works as a unit.  So, altering one aspect of your body has a huge impactful domino effect on your entire body.

Below is a video with an exercise routine to help you change your upper body to open up your chest so that you can breathe better thereby building up your immunity and pumping the toxins out via the lymph system.

Start moving today!

Your Body Works as a Unit!

Published on by Feel Good

“Pain is not something to be feared; it is something to be understood.”  ~ Pete Egoscue

Are you experiencing Chronic pain and/or Limitation?

We help when no one else can.

The Body works as a unit! Everything in the body is integrated.  Your posture effects your mindset and your spirit the same way your mindset effects your posture as well as your spirit.  Alignment is crucial to a healthy functional body.

When focus is only on one body part without taking into account the relationship it has with the rest of the body, relief is short-lived.  It’s like treating bad breath with a mouthwash or mouth spray – it’s a great quick fix, but it does not address the root cause which could be anything from tooth decay to gum disease, tonsillitis, sinusitis, acid reflux, poor digestion, cancer or something as simple as poor dental hygiene.   The cause of the pain is hardly ever the source of the pain.  And this is the reason we look at the body as a whole instead of only treating the symptoms.

At Body In Align we look at the root cause of the pain or limitation by looking at how, where and why your body is deviating from the body’s original blueprint.   The aim is to bring your body back to, or as close to, its original blueprint as possible. 

So what is the body’s blueprint?The eight load bearing joints – the shoulders, hips, knees and ankles – should be all be aligned – horizontally and vertically (see below) in the front and side view with ears directly in line with your shoulders.

Any deviation from the body’s original design or blueprint results in chronic pain, discomfort, illness, limitations or dysfunction. 

Let’s take the head for example, as you can see in the picture above, the head sits directly at the top of the spine on the neck with the ears in line with the shoulders.  Did you know that on average the human head weighs 10 pounds/ 5kg.  However, forward head posture increases the weight of the head placing undue stress and strain on the cervical spine.

This in turn can cause headaches, migraines, neck, upper back and shoulder pain, muscle spasms, pinched nerve, numbness, weakness etc.   And unfortunately this, commonly known as Tech neck, is the new epidemic sustained from prolonged use and looking down at mobile phones, laptops, tablet and even sitting at the computer with head bent forward.

As you can see deviation from your body design has repercussions.  Postural Alignment Therapy, suitable for all ages and fitness levels and helps to restore your body to it’s natural state and design. It is therefore extremely effective for:

  • Shoulder, wrist and elbow pain
  • Back pain,
  • Hip pain,
  • Knee pain
  • Ankle pain
  • Migraines
  • Jaw pain
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Tech Neck

As your body regains proper alignment, you can experience a huge improvement in your health and wellbeing, increased energy, free from pain and limitation, lowered stress, feel happy and invigorated, better sleep, improved lifestyle, boost metabolism, build-up immunity and so much more.

But, don’t take my word for it – try it for yourself!  
Contact us now for a 20 minute free postural assessment.

The Egoscue Method

Published on by Feel Good

You might be asking yourself, what is The Egoscue Method?

Created by Pete Egoscue, 20+ year veteran of exercise therapist, The Egoscue Method is a Postural Therapy program. It is designed to treat pain without drugs, surgery or manipulation. Mr. Egoscue believed that the cause of musculoskeletal dysfunction, and the subsequent pain, is the lack of motion that humans require to live and thrive without technology.

Our bodies were designed to move. Walking, running, playing. Maybe even climbing trees and way back in the day, throwing spears. With invention of the automobile and modern technology at our fingertips, we humans have become sedentary.

Most of us only consider doing a marathon if it comes to binge watching your favourite show on Netflix and not running an actual marathon.

As we sit for hours on end, behind the wheel of a car, at our desk, or on the comfort of our sofas, our lack of movement often decreases what our bodies can do.

Through a series of stretches and gentle exercises (E-cises), The Egoscue Method, was designed to bring the skeleton back into proper alignment, relax overly contracted muscles, strengthen muscles that have atrophied and restore proper anatomical balance.

With The Egoscue Method, the eight load-bearing joints (shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles) are bilaterally aligned with a fully functional musculoskeletal system.