This next month I am going to focus on maintaining perfect body alignment, given my current limitations. This is something I already do focus on a good bit, but I have been getting a bit lax lately. One problem I have been having is finding a good balance between holding myself in the best alignment I can and totally relaxing. If I don’t maintain perfect alignment, my back generally feels worse. However, if I engage my muscles too much, that can produce stress, which affects my wrists and arms. Here are my general objectives to constantly maintain:

• Engage the abs at least moderately. This supports my lower back and can prevent pain from spreading south.
• Keep pelvis close to neutral. Sometimes I want to tip it back farther than neutral because it makes my back look a bit straighter, but I don’t think this is necessarily healthy and it can also cause stress in the back.
• Mildly engage the trapezius muscles. This doesn’t have to be excessive, but I should always feel a slight pull back there. The right trap should pull down and to the left, while the left pulls down and to the right.
• Keep feet parallel. Whether sitting or standing, it is best to keep the feet parallel to each other most of the time.
• Externally rotate both legs. This means to engage the leg muscles so that the feet want to point outwards. However, the feet should not be allowed to move.
• When bending down to get something, do a forward bend or a squat. I want to not do something in-between, because that type of oblique motion generally makes my back feel worse.
• Keep chin tucked and head back. Making a double-chin is good for this. The head should be pulled straight back, not up at all.

The challenge for this month is of course not just doing these things, but maintaining them at all times. In order for this challenge to be successful 24/7, I want to be diligent with doing all my stretches and exercises every day.

Up next: Evaluation of my Month of Orderly Surroundings.