Submissive Advice

Nutrition & Health

~Posture~

As you are working on your submission your finding a new femininity. You feel the need you have to be better for your Sir as well for yourself. You want him to help you become a better version of yourself. You can incorporate some of these into your submissive rituals. You are good the way you are now but if you’re like me you know you can always improve. I found that after having two kids that my posture had suffered. Over time I had lost a lot of my flexibility.  My Sir is always pulling my shoulders back for me. Aging is not kind and I felt like I needed to improve my core. Wether its an aging thing or you are running after little kids all day, we can all benefit from having better posture. You will get a lot more exercise in the bedroom when having this lifestyle. So it is very important to stretch and improve your flexibility and endurance. I found a few articles in Women’s Health and thought I would share them.  I want to encourage everyone to start with the smallest exercises or smallest changes you can do at first. If you take on too much just like D/s you’re set yourself up for failure. So make those daily lifestyle changes and don’t crash exercise or diet or you’ll just disappoint yourself. So small steps and stay positive….Just like D/s! 

Slumping your shoulders doesn’t just make you resemble one of our long-extinct ancestors—if you don’t stand up straight, no amount of exercise will give you the hot bod you’re after. Here’s why: Over time, poor posture takes a serious toll on your spine, shoulders, hips, and knees. In fact, it can cause a cascade of structural flaws that lead to back and joint pain, reduced flexibility, and compromised muscles, all of which limit your ability to burn fat and build strength. But you can head off all these problems by taking the simple self-test to the right, then using the exercises below to fix your form, soothe your pain, and get your curves moving in the right direction.

1 FORWARD HEAD

The problem Stiff muscles in the back of your neck

The fix Moving only your head, drop your chin down and in toward your sternum while stretching the back of your neck. Hold for a count of five; do this 10 times a day.

2 ROUNDED SHOULDERS

The problem Weakness in the middle and lower parts of your trapezius (the large muscle that spans your shoulders and back)
The fix Lie facedown on the floor, with each arm at a 90-degree angle in the high-five position. Without changing your elbow angle, raise both arms by pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold for five seconds. That’s one rep; do two or three sets of 12 reps daily.

3 ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT

The problem Tight hip flexors

The fix Kneel on your left knee, with your right foot on the floor in front of you, knee bent. Press forward until you feel the stretch in your left hip. Tighten your butt muscles on your left side until you feel the front of your hip stretching comfortably. Reach upward with your left arm and stretch to the right side. Hold for a count of 30 seconds. That’s one repetition; do three on each side.

4 ELEVATED SHOULDER

The problem The muscle under your chest (running from your ribs to your shoulder blades) is weak.

The fix Sit upright in a chair with your hands next to your hips, palms down on the seat, arms straight. Without moving your arms, push down on the chair until your hips lift up off the seat and your torso rises. Hold for five seconds. That’s one repetition; do two or three sets of 12 reps daily.

5 PIGEON TOES

The problem Weak glutes (butt muscles)

The fix Lie on one side with your knees bent 90 degrees and your heels together. Keeping your hips still, raise your top knee upward, separating your knees like a clamshell. Pause for five seconds, then lower your knee to the starting position. That’s one rep. Perform two or three sets of 12 reps on each side daily.

6 DUCK FEET

The problem Your oblique muscles and hip flexors are weak.

The fix Get into a pushup position with your feet resting on a stability ball. Without rounding your lower back, tuck your knees under your torso, using your feet to roll the ball toward your body, then back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do two or three sets of six to 12 reps daily.

Assess your posture:

Wear something form-fitting and take two full-body photos—one from the front, one from the side. Relax your muscles and stand as tall as you can, feet hip-width apart. Then refer to the fix-it plan (below left) to diagnose your posture problems.

1 / Look at your ear. If it’s in front of the midpoint of your shoulder, your head is too far forward.

2 / Can you see your shoulder blade? That means your back is too rounded.

3 / If your hips tilt forward and you have a belly pooch (even if you don’t have an ounce of fat on your body) and your lower spine is arched significantly, this means you have an anterior pelvic tilt.

4 / Look at your shoulders. One shouldn’t appear higher than the other.

5 / Check out your kneecaps. Do they point inward, causing your knees to touch when your legs are straightened?

6 / See if you’re duck-footed. Your toes will point outward more than 10 degrees.

Women’s Health, ISSUE DATE: DECEMBER 2009

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Good posture, like TiVo instructions, usually gets banished to your brain’s bottom drawer. But it’s something worth thinking about: Not only does it make you look taller and slimmer, but it also aids digestion and helps you get more energy. “When you slouch you get less oxygen to your muscles and impair blood flow to your gut, causing indigestion. You also get headaches from cramped neck muscles and look lousy,” says Drew DeMann, Ph.D., of Manhattan Spine and Sports Therapy.

Incorporate these posture-enhancing exercises into your fitness routine — and straighten yourself out.

MOVE 1

Seated Stability Ball Row

SETS 3 REPS 10

Posture payback: It strengthens your upper back and shoulders to keep them from rounding forward. “This can improve your breathing and increase energy,” Dr. DeMann says.

Sit on a stability ball with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and your neck in line with your back. Grip a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other and your elbows bent at 90-degree angles. Row the weights to your sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
MOVE 2

Spinal Stretch

SETS 1 REPS 1

Posture payback: It will help elongate your spine. “Your head weighs the same as a small TV set,” says Richard Brennan, author of five books on the Alexander Technique, which is a gentle, dance-inspired method known for enhancing posture. By relieving your spine of that compression, he says, you can stand half of an inch taller.

Lie on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Support your head with a small pillow and, with your eyes open, let your body sink into the mat as you focus on lengthening your spine. Think of your pelvis releasing away from your head. Allow yourself to breathe deeply and continue for 20 minutes. “You won’t notice much at first, but after a few weeks, you’ll have better posture,” Brennan says. But don’t confuse this exercise with sleep. “It’s different because you’re lying still, consciously releasing your spine. And bending your knees especially relieves spinal pressure,” says Mischul Brownstone, a bodywork specialist in Charlotte, Vermont.

MOVE 3

Stomach Massage

SETS 3 REPS 5

1 per side
Posture payback: This move stretches your back, strengthens your abs and legs, and aids circulation and digestion. “Good posture comes from a strong core, and Pilates strengthens the powerhouse,” says Brooke Siler, author of Your Ultimate Pilates Body Challenge.

Balance on your tailbone with knees bent shoulder-width apart and toes resting lightly on the mat. Reach forward with both arms and lift your spine up, imagining you’re on a balance beam. Next, stretch your legs out and twist your upper body to follow the reach of one arm behind you. Keep your arms straight and think of chopping a tree behind you. Inhale as you reverse the twist, pulling your knees back toward your chest and lightly touching the mat with your toes. Repeat on the other side.

MOVE 4

Prayer Pose

Posture payback: It stretches your spine, arms, shoulders, glutes, and hamstrings and helps straighten your spine and neck. “Slightly tilting your head back and folding your neck is common, but it’s like crimping a garden hose — we can only guess what that’s doing to your brain,” says Jean Couch, owner of the Balance Center in Palo Alto, California. Couch also uses this move to correct the American habit of pushing the pelvis forward. (African women, according to a study in the science journal Nature, can carry 20 percent of their body weight on their heads — without expending a single extra calorie — because of their proper pelvis alignment.)

Begin on all fours, with your knees and feet about a foot apart. Tip your butt bones up and move your torso back so that your hip bones rest on your thighs. Then walk your hands out, keeping your palms flat, until your forehead rests on the floor. Let your spine lengthen and your pelvis continue to rise up behind you.

Yoga Poses that help your posture:

Strengthen and Straighten Your Upper Back
Maybe you have a sharp pain between the shoulder blades or a chronic feeling of tightness in your upper back. In either case, poor posture, endless hours in front of a computer, and a lot of lounging on a too-soft sofa—read: those 30 Rock marathons—contribute to these aches and pains, as does a condition known as kyphosis, characterized by a rounded upper back and shoulders. Too much overhead work at the gym, such as lat pull-downs, can lead to this as well. Here’s how to counteract with yoga.

 Child’s pose, sequence (A)

Stand on your knees with your arms overhead, palms facing each other.

Child’s pose, sequence (B)

On your exhale slowly bend forward, bringing your buttocks to your heels in thunderbolt pose (vajrasana) and then lower your forehead to the floor, resting in child’s pose. Stretch your arms in front of you and press your palms to the floor. On your inhale expand your chest, lifting up and coming back to the starting position. Repeat six times.

Warrior I pose, modified (A)

Step your right foot forward 3 to 4 feet, with you feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides. (Note: This front-facing foot position is much easier for beginners and anyone with tight hips than traditional warrior I, in which you turn one foot out, with the other at a 45-degree angle.)

Warrior I pose, modified (B)

On the inhale bend your right knee and interlock your fingers then bring your arms forward and raise them overhead, palms facing out. Arch the upper back gently. On the exhale return to the starting position using the strength of your bent leg to raise yourself back up. Repeat six times, then do the pose with your left foot forward.

Lizard pose (A)

Sit on your right heel with your left leg extended behind you, your left thigh hovering over the floor. Keep your torso upright. Bring your hands to the floor on each side of your right knee. On an inhale lift your rib cage forward and up, and push your chest forward while you pull down and back with your hands; your torso should be perpendicular to the floor.

 Lizard pose (B)

On an exhale bend your elbows and lower your chest onto your thighs. Repeat six times, then switch sides, sitting on your left heel with your right leg extended behind you.

Bridge pose, variation (A)

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your arms toward the ceiling and interlock your fingers, keeping your palms facing down.

Bridge pose, variation (B)

On the inhale press down on your feet and raise your pelvis 6 inches off the floor as you gently lower your chin until the back of your neck is flat on the floor. On your exhale return to the starting position, pulling your shoulder blades down your back. Repeat six times

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None of these things are magic or instantaneous. These things need to be done in repetition and pay off in time… Be patient.. Like anything else good things come to those who wait. You get out what you put into it.

It is always fun to do some of these exercises or stretches with your Dominant. They can walk around you and grade your positions. Work together as a team to improve your bodies as well as your Domination and submission (D/s). Work harder..Love Harder!! 

Just a reminder … If you have any health issues please check these exercises with your Doctor before starting them. Better safe and consensual.. LOL!

*** Anyone interested in being site Health & Nutrition submissive? This subbie would have to a post a month on some type of subject matter that relates to Domination & submission… Please E-mail me LK@subMrs.com if interested.

Yours in submission,

Little Kaninchen, subMrs.