What is the most effective posture tip you give clients?

I tell my clients to feel the place where the skull meets the spine and to try to move that spot as high up towards the ceiling as possible. This has been working well for me.

As well as what others have answered, I too use Shawn's answer of the string analogy, I also tell my clients to look at their foot positioning. Their feet should be facing in the direction they want to move and their knees should point in the direction of their knees during movement.

A lot of times clients walk pigeon-toed or with their feet turned out (like a penquin). This causes the knees and hips to also be out of position (weak gluteals, tight or weak adductors or abductors depending on the positioning and tight hip flexors).

For clients who sit a lot during the day, I ask them to take posture checks throughout the day. And they probably get sick of me during our sessions repeating, "chest up, ribcage lifted, chin in, shoulders back," but I try to get them to think about it as much as possible. I also remind my breath-holders, to BREATHE! And ask them to think about squeezing their shoulder blades together slightly.

It depends on the client and the training situation. However, one of the visual cues I use is that I ask the client to find their inner royalty.

I cue to imagine that they are wearing a crown and that they want the crown to remain balanced on their head.

At times I cue, don't let your shoulders kiss your ears particularly if the trapezius muscle is overactive.

At times I might cue "lift your gluteal line" or "drop your gluteal line" depending upon whether the client has an anterior or posterior tilt of their pelvic girdle.

It depends upon the client and the posture that needs to be cued into correction.

I feel obligated to answer this question!

National Posture Institute 4 Points of Posture

1. Stand Tall
-Visualize the vertebral column lengthening and growing taller
2. Hold Chest/Shoulder High
-Visualize opening up the chest and creating a geometric 90 angle of the shoulders and
leveling out the shoulders
3. Retract Scapulae
-Visualize holding a pencil between the scapulas (Shoulder blades)
4. Contract Abdominals
-Visualize drawing the belly button toward the spine and isometrically contracting the core musculature.

Fuel the Movement,
JM

www.facebook.com/nationalpostureinstitute

Forward head position is something that I see in most of my clients. I remind people that great posture starts with the feet. I tell people that the average pair of shoes only lasts about 400 to 500 miles, and after that, you're not getting much support from your shoes. Im a firm believer in strong arches in the feet. Most people are suprised to hear that there are actually four "arches" in each foot. Having strong arches does a lot to correct pronating feet, and it has an effect all the way up through your hips. Feet that pronate excessivley usually results in an anterior pelvic tilt. Excessive pronation in the feet is very common in my experience.

There are a number of ways that posture can be affected by pelvic tilt. More often than not, any pelvic tilt that I've come across has been a combination of a suspected muscular imbalance, tightness in certain muscle groups, and something being out of kilter with the kinetic chain of stability.

There are also those clients that, when I ask them to stand up straght or stop slouching, they'll compensate with a forward pelvic tilt other than bringing the vertebral column into proper alignment. There's nothing wrong with the kinetic chain of stability and there's no pelvic tilt, they just slouch.

The two biggest tips that work for most of my clients are:

1.) Showing them how to properly stop slouching by using the cervical spine extensors, upper trapezius, levator scapulae (explained as muscles in the upper back). In other words, make the adjustment where the problem is instead of pushing your hips forward to bring your head into a position that makes you think you corrected your slouching.

2.) Brace the abdominal muscles slightly.. It's amazing what a little tension on your abs will do for your posture. =)

I use Shawn's answer often (imagine a string attached to the crown of the head lifting you up) to help them understand the lengthening of the spine in an upright body position.

I think it is helpful to further teach them 1) correct scapulae placement (I take beginner clients through these steps: elevate the shoulders, then retract them, then depress the shoulders---this will usually get the scapulae in a correct position, but always check), 2) abdominals slightly contracted by pullling the belly button towards the spine and slightly knitting together the rib cage, and 3) slight engagement of the perineum area (cue with: "engage the muscle used to stop the flow of urine").

These steps will teach your client the beginning of healthy postural habits and put them on their way to a lifestyle of optimal posture. As Marlan mentioned and the latest research reveals, posture does begin from the feet up. There is always more to teach and always more to learn! :)