It’s going to take a while to change all the low level letterboxes already in existence so, in the meantime posties could adopt some of the Alexander Technique advice on how to bend correctly.
There are many posturally balanced positions that we can learn in order to use ourselves in an efficient, organised way, bending following the advice of the “Alexander Technique Monkey” is one of them.
At first glance, it might look like Health&Safety bending recommendation, however the Alexander Technique teaches us to pay particular attention to the neck-head connection where tension is usually stored.
We are asked to release that tension before the bending starts. It takes two seconds but the benefits are immense. Here are the stages:
- First thought, let go of the neck, this automatically releases the head on top of the spine that can then lengthen upwards from the tailbone
- Place your feet about shoulder width apart so that you can bend at your knees without jamming your hips
- Soften the back of the knees and bend in line with the toes, flex the ankles
- Let your pelvis come back and tilt the torso forward pivoting from the hip joints
- Let go of the neck again before pushing the mail in the letterbox
You may want to practice this five times before your run. You should see the benefits in a short time.
