#1: Keep the back straight.Running this way ensures the impact of striking the ground is distributed as evenly and naturally as possible through the entire body.
#2: Make sure the feet land under the knee.
A few weeks later, a different friend asked for tips on strength exercises. Despite the change in exercise type, my general advice remained unchanged. Again, for your benefit, dear reader:
#1 Keep the back straight.Not an exact copy but very close in spirit. Like with running, this posture takes the stress off the joints- which is critical for injury prevention- and transfers the pressure onto the muscles- which is required for building strength.
#2 Make sure the feet are planted firmly below the knee.
It seems that my workout technique involves just those two ideas, applied liberally to all physical activity- back straight, feet underneath. As rules of thumb go, that's about as good as it gets.
I was reminded of these exchanges the other day when I was editing last week's post about Rework. As I mentioned in that post, I really liked the observation about 'casual Friday'- at a certain level, it's an example of how businesses fail to apply their good ideas across the board.
Back straight, feet underneath- I keep it in mind when I run and strength train. If my posture breaks down, I stop the activity. I thought my rules of thumb were a good example of this 'casual Friday' concept in action- I took an idea from running and applied it to another type of exercise. The mere thought of describing this accomplishment in a blog post made me feel good.
Then, I thought- if this was such a good idea for exercise, was it possibly a good idea for the rest of the time? I was seated at a computer (still editing) when I considered this. I checked my back- slightly hunched. My feet were under my thighs, about six inches shy of where they should be if they were under my knees.
Later that day, I checked my standing posture. Again, the same type of thing. My shoulders dipped down a little bit and my hips extended just a hair forward. A lazy slouch! The path from heel to head was a little crooked- if I drew it out on paper, it might resemble an emaciated (and undotted) question mark.
Though I am no Dr. Posture, I suspected that perhaps my standing and sitting could benefit from some work. Standing and sitting might not count as exercise but they do require a degree of physical exertion- a fact I'm reminded of anytime a flu keeps me in bed for a few days (1). If my 'rules of thumb' were of any use during exercise, perhaps they should be applied to these activities as well.
The 'casual Friday' observation in Rework illustrates a broader point about good ideas. I've heard that a good idea is simply adapting and applying an idea from an unrelated area (2). That sounds about right to me. It's a point of view that argues against basing the dress code on the calendar. And if I think more broadly about sitting or standing- 'the slowest forms of running', if you will- then it makes some sense to subject these activities to the same rules of thumb I use to guide my exercise routine.
Footnotes / imagined complaints
1. This isn't Cross Fit, but still...
If you disagree with me (or have never been sick), try standing perfectly straight for an hour. If you still disagree, let me know and I'll edit this post!
2. The problem with cleverness
Using 'casual Friday' as an example perhaps obscures the point a little bit. It's a little too tongue-in-cheek to make a very strong impression. Or, to put it another way, its easy for someone who has never thought much about it to dismiss. What companies go bankrupt because of pants?
