I am known as The Body Engineer for a reason. I get my clients fit and healthy, but I also teach them about their bodies and how do use them in an efficient way so their bodies function smoothly and gracefully. You will get an insight into a few of the elements that many coaches and personal trainers fail to teach their clients. Although it is the small habits that are the foundations of their clients' movement and physical and mental well-being...

1. The Correct Posture To Reduce Shoulder And Neck Pain
I am known as The Body Engineer for a reason. I get my clients fit and healthy, but I also teach them
about their bodies and how do use them in an efficient way so their bodies function smoothly and
gracefully.
You will get an insight into a few of the elements that many coaches and personal trainers fail to
teach their clients. Although it is the small habits that are the foundations of their clients' movement
and physical and mental wellbeing.
Let's begin.
You may or may not be among the people who, in time, feel pain at the end of a working day almost
on a daily basis.
Regardless of whether you feel those aches or not it is essential for you to know how to use your
body, particularly when you sit at your desk.
Health is not only about nutrition and fitness, it is about looking after your body from a mechanical
perspective as well. Health comes from within, it's all underneath the surface. Like the engine of a
car is under the hood, without the engine and the mechanics of the car it will never work.
Imagine a very beautiful and shiny car. Looks perfect, there is apparently nothing wrong with it. You
sit behind the wheel and turn they key. Nothing happens. When you look under the hood there are
pieces missing and the engine is broken.
Everything happens under the hood. Same with our bodies. We may look graceful, elegant, skinny
and healthy but what is beneath the surface matters more. Those are the foundation of movement
and health which actually make a difference.
I will share with you only three foundation elements at this point. There is no purpose giving you
more and action none. Less is sometimes more.

2. All three elements have to do with your posture while sitting because everything begins with a
correct posture and if you don't get this right all other movements, even just standing and walking will
be affected.
1. Sit on your sitting bones
If you pay close attention to how you sit you will probably notice that your hips are tilted backwards
or your tailbone is tucked in. This is very common when we slouch. And chairs, in general, don’t do
much to prevent that.
Your sitting bones are part of your pelvis and are the bones you sit on, literally. Focusing only on this
one element and your posture will immediately change, for the better.
To help, place the bottom of your spine close to your chair's backrest.
2. The bucket of water
Imagine your hips as a bucket of water. An inefficient posture means your hips are either tilted
forwards too much, overarching the lower back (spilling water forwards) or tilted backwards, tucking
the tail bone in (spilling water backwards).
Ensure you keep your hips levelled so you don't spill any water. This is important not only for sitting
but also for standing, walking, running.
3. Head tilt
Let's talk about head tilting backwards, this is an element I teach my clients as part of the running
technique and general healthy posture as well as in any exercise we learn and practice.
When we slouch the habit is to lift the chin and drop the head back while also sinking into the
shoulders which drop forwards. That closes the chest and, in time, restricts breathing.
Your head weighs about 10-15 lb. When you tilt it becomes heavier. But let's only consider the 10lb
placed on the top on your spine, dropping every time you sit and stand, every time you walk and run.
Pounding on top of the spine.
All that impact and pressure on the top of vertebrae will, in time, lead to other problems as the
pressure builds up. Short term it leads to neck ache followed by shoulders.

3. And, as muscles are interconnected, if one is strained it will strain the other muscles around it as
well.
The other side of the coin is head hanging forwards which leads to neck and shoulder strain as well
as straining a muscle, Erector Spinae but not only.
This muscle is positioned left and right along the length of your spine and keeps your body erect. If
that muscle is strained then the spine and your whole body posture will be affected.
The Erector Spinae is not that simple, as with anything that has to do with the body. But we do not
need to go into detailed anatomy now.
In summary, keep your chin parallel to the ground and ensure proper alignment when sitting:
- Ears in line with the shoulders
- Shoulders in line with the hips
- Hips levelled, not spilling water from the bucket
- Sit on your sitting bones.
There are many other elements of a good posture but this is a simple and easy way to begin with.
Most importantly, bring these elements in your daily life. One by one you change your lifestyle.