Posture Perfect: Fix Your Forward Head

When I was a young dancer, my British ballet mistress told me I danced like a chicken. A far cry from the swan I longed to be! The problem was not with my arms or back but with my neck. I had serious forward head, that eager looking posture where your thrust your head forward from your body. Not only is it unattractive, especially in profile, it can be a pain in the neck. Here are two simple ways to deal with this common postural problem. First : Stand at a wall with your heels, booty, shoulder blades, and back of your head against the wall. Now adjust your skull so your eyes are looking straight forward without having to move your eyeballs downward; think of the skull pivoting backward on the axis of the spine to do this.This might feel a bit weird, but should give you a sense of how forward your head actually is. Stay there for about 30 seconds and think about lengthening your spine and opening your chest. Learn my second suggestion when you read more. Second : The muscles at the base of the skull become really tight when your head thrusts forward. To train those muscles to lengthen and strengthen the opposite muscle group, try this simple exercise we call Nose Nods in the Pilates world. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Your nose should point directly toward the ceiling. Keeping your neck long, slowly nod your head. The skull should pivot on the neck and your neck shouldn’t move. Think of drawing an arc with your nose, but don’t try to flatten your neck onto the floor. Slowly return your head back to starting position. You should feel a small stretch at the back of your neck and a little muscular work near your throat. Tight pecs can contribute to the problem, so be sure to stretch your chest too.

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Posture Perfect: Fix Your Forward Head

How Jada Pinkett Smith Keeps Her Love Life Hot

Jada Pinkett Smith is no stranger to sharing details about her love life; with 12 years of a successful Hollywood marriage under her belt, she probably has some healthy secrets we could all use. She told Shape magazine that she is a firm believer in kegels . Pinkett Smith proclaims doing these simple pelvic floor exercises “keeps the sex hot.” Learn how to tone up down there when you read more. If you practice yoga, you might refer to the pelvic floor (PF) as the mula bandha . The easiest way to find the correct area to activate is to stop the flow of urine when emptying your bladder. Then try to find that same sensation when not going to the restroom. A little more advanced variation is to create the sensation of the entire pelvic floor pulling up. The muscles of the pelvic floor fill in the space between your pubic bone (front of your pelvis), your coccyx (tail bone), and your sit bones (ischial tuberosities in anatomy lingo). The overall shape is similar to a kite and contains many different muscles. To activate the pelvic floor you want to imagine those aforementioned bones coming closer to one another as the muscles attached to them activate and pull up - like a sheet being held by four corners billowing up as the corners move toward the center. It helps to think of the PF as similar to your diaphragm, which moves up and down as you inhale and exhale. Here is a subtle and simple exercise that you can do right now. It is so subtle that no one will know you are exercising your nether regions. On a four-count inhale, pull the PF up and in toward the center line of your body. Then release slowly on a four-count exhale. Allow your pelvic floor to completely relax in between repetitions. Repeat five to 10 times and throughout the day. Aside from beneficial side effects in the bedroom, a strong pelvic floor provides support while running and lifting weights too. After all, it is part of your core.

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How Jada Pinkett Smith Keeps Her Love Life Hot

How Do You Refer to Your Rear?

It seems that women have a love/hate relationship with their butts. Either you want a smaller rear or a more shapely tush, and if you love your booty the way it is, I say shake your money maker. Regardless of your emotional relationship to your derriere, trainers and fitness class teachers use a wide variety of terms for “butt” - it’s such a crass term with a schoolyard feel to it, and only slightly better than the formal “buttocks.” When it comes to talking about your backside, tell me . . . How Do You Refer to Your Rear? Booty Bum Buns Fanny Glutes Rear Seat Tush Other - I will tell you below.

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How Do You Refer to Your Rear?

Multitasking Move: Burning Squats

Strengthening your quads not only prevents injuries to your knees when running, but it also makes you stronger and faster. Not to mention, toned thighs also look great in a bathing suit . Here’s a squat sequence I love to do because it instantly burns my thighs. When you do squats holding weights, it’ll also work your upper body, so this exercise is super challenging. You’re guaranteed to feel sore the next day. For details on how to do this squat sequence, read more. Stand with your feet together. Place a dumbbell in each hand, bend your elbows and rest the weights gently on your shoulders. Do 10 squats here. Then separate your feet hips-width distance apart and straighten your arms overhead. Do another 10 squats. Next, bend your elbows at 90-degree angles and separate your feet even further. Point your toes out slightly and do 10 wide squats . Bring your feet back in so they’re hips-width distance apart. Straighten your arms overhead and do 10 more squats. Step your feet back together, bend your elbows, and rest the weights on your shoulders for the last 10 squats.

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Multitasking Move: Burning Squats