Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/253819
Create your free business website! www.ascpskincare.com 31 An even deeper sense of support is created when one foot is placed in front of the other while standing (making sure the knees are not locked), or lifted up and placed on a footstool or low bar when sitting. Tension The next step in deepening your sense of correct ergonomics is a clearer understanding of tension. In the simplest terms, we can think of tension as held weight. Ideally, the weight of our body is supported by three major weight- bearing centers of the skeleton: the pelvis, the ribcage, and the head's position as it balances on the neck. These are also the areas of the body where we find the primary horizontal planes for the body's various rotating or twisting movements. Tension occurs when muscles exert effort to hold weight in a fixed manner away from these three natural weight-bearing centers. When this muscle effort is sustained over a period of time, tension patterns develop and deepen with repetition. Tension is released when we correct our posture or adjust movements to drop our weight back onto the weight-bearing centers. Correct Ergonomic Choices Understanding the above principles and becoming aware of them in your own body and daily tasks will mean correct ergonomic choices are always within reach. Maintaining good body mechanics is a daily journey; practice repeatedly until good patterns become habitual. Denise Stoner is a nurse, bodyworker, and ergonomic consultant with more than 25 years of experience as a health educator. To learn more about her work, visit www.bodywisehealthoptions.com. Turning and reaching for products or tools causes unnecessary strain over time. Place items close at hand whenever possible. A trolley or small side table is useful. Many estheticians perform a shoulder massage in a hunched-over position, locking arms at the elbows. It's more effective to position the chair close to the client so you are not reaching with elbows locked. Align your spine by putting weight on your sit bones with no back curvature, shoulders back and down, and the abdominal muscles engaged.