S S S

What an annoying ORDER to give yourself. But I've been ordering myself, trying on these mornings and afternoons at the computer, Sit, Stand, Straight !

S S S! It's like "Don't eat!" The command makes you hungry. It makes me slump even more.

When our son first showed signs of spaghetti posture, right away, I blurted out, "Stand straight. It's easy! Just do it!"

He was an exercise fiend on the exercise bike, He biked at least an hour each day, pedaling fast, arched over like bikers do. We wondered, "Is he becoming an exercise bulimic?" But parents generally outgrow their wonderings as the child grows into other things.

Still, spaghetti posture is something to avoid -- that out-of-date old look of an older woman -- the dowager's hump, the slumped head! "Sit, stand straight" is what I've been ordering myself to do for months.

Though I've studied, practiced, and mastered other physical disciplines, I can't seem to do it. Why?

Why can't I hold on to the thought?

Okay, while typing this I've adjusted myself -- am sitting very straight! Am pressing the ON button on the timer . (Bet I'll be slumped in a minute or two.) Last month, I stuck a board against the back of my chair. I tried wearing a wide, uncomfortable belt. Neither board nor belt helped to enforce my S S S command.

Maybe if I sit with a book on my head ...?

(I've put a 7 x 9 paperback on my head --am sitting somewhat straighter -- okay, I'll test this, I'll slump -- book hasn't fallen -- book on my head doesn't seem to make any difference.)

Well, don't tell your kids, "S S S." And don't tell yourself, "S S S." Better do your S S S-ing when you're devoting yourself to whatever exercises you do on a daily/weekly basis.

What? Do you mean that you , Em, who takes a barre everyday, and are a queen of discipline, you cannot obey your own command?

It's true. I can't.

Realty: The only way to hold onto S S S is to take the little moments when you're aware of slumping, and then energize yourself to SIT, STAND STRAIGHT! That's it!