Improve Your Posture in One Simple Step
By Sara Calabro
Want to improve your posture quickly, for free, with almost zero effort?
I recently did it. So can you.
I don’t deserve any credit for this accomplishment. I didn’t invent the technique, nor, as I mentioned, did implementing it ask much of me. I can, however, vouch for its effectiveness.
I was introduced to this magic bullet by an acupuncturist, and I have an acupuncture theory on why it’s so beneficial (see below), but getting acupuncture is not required.
This solution to better posture is something you can do completely on your own, anywhere, anytime, without ever opening your wallet. You don’t even have to get up from the couch.
The DIY Solution to Better Posture
Turn up your palms. That’s it.
As in the picture above (click on it to enlarge), whenever you’re doing something that does not require use of your hands, turn them so that they’re palm-side up. You also can do it while standing or walking.
This palms-up position may be familiar to committed meditators and yogis who practice shavasana, but it’s foreign to those of us who spend a lot of time at a computer, behind the wheel of a car, holding babies, making lattes, or doing pretty much anything else that requires constant hand use. Even when we’re not using our hands, it’s just habit to sit, walk or stand with our hands facing down or behind us.
Because we’re so unaccustomed to the palms-up position, when we assume it, the effects are felt immediately. There’s a sense of momentum carrying the upper body backward opposed to the hunched forward motion we so naturally fall into. It feels as if someone is gently pulling back on your shoulders.
Try it. If you’re using your hands, stop and rest them against your thighs. Now turn both palms so that they’re facing up toward the ceiling.
It sounds simple, but I’m telling you, it works—and fast.
First-Hand Success Story: Better Posture in Under Two Weeks
I learned this shortcut to better posture less than two weeks ago, while attending a seminar with Japanese acupuncturist Kiiko Matsumoto. Kiiko is known for her eccentric, entertaining teaching style. During lectures, she’ll often diverge from a subject to impart what seems like an irrelevant anecdote. She’s usually halfway through her next thought before you realize the remarkably useful nature of what she just said.
At the recent seminar, Kiiko mentioned this palms-up technique quickly and in passing to illustrate a larger point about the rhomboids, the muscles that connect the scapula with the spine. She started using the technique herself after a friend pointed out that Kiiko was developing poor posture.
I have been trying it out for the past 10 days. Anytime I don’t need my hands, I turn them palm-side up. If I can get away with using one hand—when reading a book, for example, or walking my dog—I’ll turn the other palm up, alternating hands when the one in use gets tired.
I was going to wait to write about this until I spent more time testing it. But in less than two weeks, I have seen a marked improvement in my posture. I’ve also noticed a general feeling of more openness in my chest. It feels easier to breathe.
An Acupuncture Perspective on Why We Should All Give It Up for Palms-Up
This second observation, about palms-up opening the chest area, relates to my acupuncture-related theory on why this technique is so important.
In acupuncture, the meridians that run along the inside of the arm, from the chest/underarm to the palm, are Heart, Pericardium and Lung.
Just as in Western medicine, where the the heart and lungs are considered such vital organs, the Heart, Pericardium and Lung meridians are critical in acupuncture.
Here is just a smattering of the functions each meridian is involved in (there are many more):
Heart: breathing, cardiac function, sleep, emotional balance and heat regulation. Pericardium: breathing, blood circulation and upper digestive function. Lung: breathing, immune function, perspiration, body temperature and urination.
Not necessarily stuff you want to mess around with.
Yet our lifestyles force our hands and arms into an almost constant downward/backward position, creating a tendency to slouch forward. This causes us to cave our upper bodies inward, crunching the Heart, Pericardium and Lung meridians.
Allowing these meridians to flow more freely optimizes their ability to perform their respective functions.
I’ve only been experimenting with it for 10 days, but I suspect this simple palms-up exercise can go a long way toward encouraging movement throughout the Heart, Pericardium and Lung meridians.
While your palms are turned up, try and visualize the meridians that run along the inner arm into the palm.
The pictures above and to the right show Heart and Lung. Focus just on the solid black line—the one with the orange dots along it—that’s running down the model’s right arm (ignore the lines on the torso as well as the text surrounding the body). The Pericardium meridian, not shown, runs directly between the two.
Imagine these meridians stretching and regaining their normal flow as your palms gaze up.
If you commit to this exercise, I guarantee you’ll notice a shift in your posture. And if my theory is correct, you may notice improvements beyond just sitting up straighter.
You can start right now. Flip your palms toward the ceiling. Let us know what you find.
Photo by Mary Marsiglio
Meridian images from A Manual of Acupuncture
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Comments
Definitely need to give this a try- never even occurred to me you could do it while walking your dog. Thanks for sharing, Sara.
Hi Ka Hang. It’s crazy how well it works. Actually, I’ve noticed that I especially feel the effects when I do it while standing up/walking. I sometimes get some strange looks from people—cruising down the street in the anatomical position—but the embarrassment goes away after a while
Let us know if you have success with it!
Sara
Please explain hand position while walking: Facing forward or toward the sun? Where are my elbows?
Thanks for your question, Star Light. The hand position while walking or standing is palms out, facing forward, elbows straight. So in the anatomical position: http://home.comcast.net/~wnor/terminologyanatposition.htm
That’s how I’ve been doing it, at least. It seems like it would require a little more muscular effort but you might try doing it with your palms facing upward toward the sun, elbows bent, to mimic the seated position. I’d be curious to hear if that’s also effective. Let us know!
Sara
SO!! : What if we created keyboards to use palms up??? No more secretarial carpal tunnel!? Who’s tech savvy for this invention??
Whoever invents it better give me a heads up. I’m buying the stock!
Reminds me of the scene in Amadeus where Mozart plays the piano while sitting underneath the keyboard.
Great article!! Thanks for posting…I’m going to start playing with this technique myself and will share with my patients as well.
I’m glad you found it useful, Melanie. Thanks for helping to spread the word.
Sara
LOL “cruising down the street in anatomical position” – I nearly lost my mouthful there. (Not that I’m eating and reading email at the same time, or anything) Thanks, Sara, I will have to try this.
Thanks for the note, Naomi. Congrats again on that awesome article about your clinic!
Sara
I love such inventions as an acupuncture practitioner,palm facing up invites the cosmic energy pervading in the universe.In Hindu mythology it has great reference.
Hi Sara…. are you actively engaging your forearm muscles to keep the palms straight up? Or do you let your arms relax which cause palms (my palms anyway) to kind of lie at a slight angle?
Hey Jon. I’ve been doing it by letting my arms relax but you might also try it by engaging your forearms. Maybe that will work too. For me, I’ve liked the feeling of letting my arms just hang. It creates a natural pull backward without causing any tension anywhere else.
Sara
[...] I didn’t invent the technique, nor, as I mentioned, did implementing it ask … → If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing [...]
Wow! Finally an easy method to remember, and practical too! I just flipped my palms here at my desk and voila…I could feel the difference all througout the upper half of my body.
The thing I love about this is that it’s EASY. Why? I’m always using my hands (mainly typing). So if I can think of flipping the palms as a break for my carpal tunnel between typing, then the act of flipping my palms will remind me of my posture, which will remind me to sit up straighter anyway…nice chain reaction.
If I find out I have a hard time remembering to do this over the coming days, I may just write the word “palms” on the back of my hand as a reminder.
Thank you Sara, I look forward to playing with this technique the next few weeks!
Hey Shawn. Thanks for writing in. I’m glad you’re finding it helpful. Crazy, huh? How quickly you can feel the effects? I was amazed when I started doing it. Love the idea of tattooing yourself with “palms!”
Sara
Another simple thing that helps with posture: whenever you can, think about keeping your heart open to what’s going on. It has much the same physical effect as palms-up, and good spiritual and psychological effects too. Especially important when you’re using a keyboard!
[...] Sara Calabro Acutake Health [...]
[...] For these same reasons, the point is useful for people who suffer from depression. It raises emotional energy. It also helps raise things physically. Governing Vessel 20 is used to treat cases of rectal or uterine prolapse. And since the Governing Vessel meridian follows along the entire spine, Governing Vessel 20 is an excellent point for back pain caused by poor posture. [...]
[...] But this tip was so simple I had to pass it on. It was posted by Sara Calabro on her blog AcuTake Health makes a lot of sense. Turn Up Your Palms… that is [...]
[...] I wrote about this teacher last year in a piece on how to improve your posture. [...]
another reason the palms up tech works is because myofacialy the first three fingers are attached to the chest and bicep. the fourth and fifth are attached to the rhombiods and lats. so when we engage in activities that pronate our hands we develope a stronge dependance on the chest and bicep lines that pull the scapula away from the spine. by making sure we use the fourth and fifth fingers when we grasp an object we reestablish a conection to the scapula holding point be using the rhoboids. this is great for people who use their hands all the time. i love how the blending of body work and acupuncture go together.