What battle? You didn't even know there was a war. Actually, it's your battle with gravity, and it's either for you or against you. Gravity is constantly challenging you: as I pull you down, what are you going to do? How are you going to keep yourself upright?

Relating to these questions, I read an interesting article recently on Muscular Intelligence by Cam Cameron, who stated some very interesting observations regarding gravity and your posture. First, "gravity never takes a day off." Secondly, "the human body is an adaptable machine, which will (positively) condition itself to intelligent demand or (negatively) de-condition itself with unthinking habitual repetition." *If gravity is constantly pulling you down, shouldn't you respond by springing upward? If you do not have upward spring, then you compress your body and slump (or slouch). Your ligaments, cartilage and discs all suffer a breakdown in muscular or postural intelligence, and all for the sake of comfort or the "path of least resistance."

Slumping is the unconscious sabotaging of our skeletal design, which can lead to negative compensations throughout the body. Compressed hips and sacroiliac joints can lead to low back stiffness and weakness. Thoracic spine collapse compresses the rib cage - smaller breaths - and forces the head forward, putting greater pressure on the base of the neck and base of the head. This can create headaches, neck pain, and tight shoulders and neck. By shifting your posture into an "S" curve (S is for springing), you lift your chest up, relaxing the shoulder muscles and bringing the head back to rest on the shoulders. The pelvis is more level, allowing back muscles to relax and an expanded rib cage to breathe easier. So, when you are standing or sitting, observe whether you are in an "S" posture (springing up) or in a "C" curve (collapsing), and adjust your body accordingly. Then you can smile and say to gravity, "see, I'm winning. Hah!"