Okay, Andrew, what on earth does fixing posture have to do with changing tires?
Well, lets’ start with; spring has sprung and it’s time to swap out the winter tires for summer tires. Now you could make an appointment and take it to a mechanic, or you could do it yourself. I used to choose the latter because I’m cheap, but nowadays you can get your tires swapped out for $25.
I still do it myself, though. I’ve already got the tools, and I’ve got a little boy who absolutely loves helping daddy build things and fix things, especially if it involves power tools. When my 9 year old learned that he could jack up the car by himself, and then zip the lug nuts on and off using my impact drill, he was in heaven. Whenever I need to swap a tire, he’s right there helping me, without fail.
The problem is, although he can do the power tool bits, moving the tires around is still way too much for the little guy. So, he gets the fun bits, playing with the tools, and I get the heavy lifting bits, slugging the tires around.
So, at 5 – 10 minutes per tire and two cars, I spent an hour Sunday morning slugging around car tires.
This is where you might be expecting me to say that after all the work I put into fixing my back and posture, an hour of bending, stooping and heavy lifting later, no problems. Actually, there were problems.
I did all that work on my back and realized some great benefits, but I still have lumbar disc problems, and after I was done the tires, I hurt. I had a pretty bad ache in my lower spine. So what did I do? I took my own advice.
- First, a little bridge to work the back muscles and articulate the spine.
- Second, a little dead bug to engage the core and stabilize the lumbar.
- Third, a little baby cobra to give the erectors a nice little workout.
- Finally, a little rest, savassana (corpse pose) to let everything recover.
End result? By Easter dinner I was pain free, and ready to take the boys to their grandparents for the Easter egg hunt.
I’ve been doing those Monday yoga posture posts as a basic guide to posture correction, but they provide so much more. They’re also a roadmap for stretching and strengthening the core in order to heal the back, to fix long term problems and improve your life. In short, an everyday exercise guide to:
Overcoming pain, regaining mobility, learning to stand up right.
