Tips from Dr. Kelly's Posture Police

Hey Pelvic Floored Family! 

Guess what? The Posture Police are here to remind you that "Nipples Forward" is the way to go for the best posture ever!  Seriously, talking about NIPPLES is a GREAT cue, to help us keep things in perspective…and have some fun too, right?.

To Help With Posture, Think About Nipples (Really)

Don't slouch, but don't let your nipples wander off to the moon either.

How not to sit or stand #1: Nipples Down.

Posture Police say that working from home is no excuse to let your nipples down. This posture is an example of what I commonly see in desk-workers.  This forward posture puts increased pressure down on your pelvic bits, and if held for a long time, could be a contributing factor to pee urgency, leaks or pelvic organ prolapse pressure.  

"Hey, Dr. Kelly, sit up straighter when typing, okay? Nipples FORWARD!”

How not to sit or stand #2: Nipples Down

Carrying stuff during the day is no excuse to lean forward. Carrying something like this once in a while is no problem, but for a prolonged period of time would also result in increased pelvic organ pressure, worsening any pelvic problem you may have.  

Posture Police say “engage your core and sit up a bit straighter when carrying things. Nipples forward”

How not to sit or stand #3: Nipples UP!

Don’t be a slouch, but don’t send your nipples to the moon, either.  Having your nipples up isn't great either. Posture Police suggest bringing your ribcage a bit closer together and a bit closer to your belt line so your nipples point forward, no up.  If we "over-exaggerate" into this "nipples up" position, we can actually compress the back of our spine, causing pain, and put extra stretch on our tummy region.

The sweet spot of “Nipples Forward”, aka the Best Posture Ever:

“Nipples Forward” means you're balancing all the ab groups, not just one. You draw in your deepest lowest abs to ‘hug your bladder towards your spine’, then while maintaining that brace, you ensure that you can still breathe into your ribcage...and also while keeping your rectum and pelvic floor muscles relaxed.  Yes, you can do this with practice, I promise.  And yes…keep those nips forward, and not down or up.  Practice this posture with simple tasks, then bring it into a standing position for all of your daily activities. This helps optimize pelvic pressure, reducing low back and pelvic pain, and even leakage and prolapse pressure.

So, which one are you? And what will you do to fix it? Here are some ideas:

• Gently engage your deepest/lowest abs ("hugging your bladder up towards your spine") and scapular groups so your nipples face forward.

• Can you do this WITH JUST your deep abs and shoulder blade groups....and keep your butt hole relaxed? (If not, buy Vag Lab to learn how TODAY!!)

• Set a reminder every 30 minutes to check your posture. When it goes off, think, "How's my posture?" Fix it with "active abs, active scape, relaxed butthole...ear holes over shoulders over hips..." Reset the timer and repeat.  
  

• If a "posture-break" is boring, try Dr. Kelly's Favorite Postural Reset. This corner stretch or doorframe stretch with an AMAZING scapular reset is a crowd please for efficiency and fun.  

K--that's it.  While it's true that we don't want to hold ANY posture super rigidly, thinking of nipples forward, ear holes over shoulders, an "active deep low abs and breathe", "active deep low abs and relaxed pelvic floor" can set you up for a world of fabulous-ness.

Remember, Ear-Holes over Shoulders, over Hips, over Ankle Bones. 

Ear Holes Over Shoulders, Over Hips, Over Ankle Bones. You got this! Nipples forward, best posture ever!!

 Doing these regular posture adjustments are not only doable, but they will also set you up for success in long-term pelvic pressure management, which reduces pee, poop and seggsy time problems, as well as restores resiliency to your spine to reduce risk of future injury. 

To test the waters of how a little knowledge of your "down there" can change your life, consider purchasing Vag Lab, a 2-hour streamable course where I teach you all about posture AND more, iincluding self pelvic floor muscle checks and how to do "the Big 3"!  Or, for a deeper dive into how posture might be affecting your pelvic health, check out the Pelvic Floored Signature Lecture Series, a 12-week curated program of pelvic and global strengthening for optimal pelvic wellness!   And if $$ is tight, consider Dr. Kelly's Treasure Chest, a monthly subscription that gives you access to Dr. Kelly's Treasure Chest of pelvic health information and exercises to reduce common problems, and build global strength, while protecting your pelvic floor.  

And as always, if you’re ready to invest fully in your body, your health and your future, consider seeing a Pelvic PT in person or online, one:one, to get you en route to YOUR happily ever after :) 

Thanks for reading!

xoxo, Dr. Kelly 😊

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