How to Begin Straighten Up? Seven Simple Steps for Implementation: 1. As a Project Coordinator for Straighten Up America, you will receive a “Straighten Up” Implementation Kit from the Delphi Panel for Straighten Up. This kit will include: downloadable web links for the exercises and lifestyle recommendations, exercise pamphlets, mirror decals, introductory articles and public service announcements. 2. To begin thoroughly familiarize yourself with the program and start to practice the Posture Pod daily in order to improve your own spinal health, posture and core stabilization. (Make sure that the activities are appropriate for you and not contraindicated by disorders which prohibit exercise and movement of your spinal column and other joints.) Then, leading by example, we recommend that you perform the exercises with key leaders in your organization or campus community. Though the activities are fun and health-enhancing, you should still make sure that any participants do not have disorders that contraindicate spinal movements and stretches. Identify individuals who show interest and enthusiasm for presenting the program and training others. Teach through interaction and ask frequent questions regarding the names and order of the exercises. Make training sessions an enjoyable interactive learning game. 3. Next where appropriate incorporate “Straighten Up” links on your web site and email the digital elements of the Implementation Kit to your members/alumni for incorporation in their offices or organizations. 4. Any of the individuals that you contact, who wish to teach the exercises, must first thoroughly familiarize themselves with “Straighten Up” and begin to practice the exercises daily. We recommend beginning by doing the Posture Pod/Flying Friends daily before or after brushing teeth. This takes 30-40 seconds. 5. Once proficient, practitioners, health educators and fitness experts will then educate and motivate their patients/students/clients and their communities (including schools, corporations, faith congregations and civic organizations) to improve their spinal health through consistent practice of “Straighten Up”. You may wish to identify key individuals in your area who can help to present and integrate “Straighten Up” in your school system. The concept here is teaching our children spinal exercises for early habituation and health promotion. “Straighten Up” fits extremely well in physical education classes and also in didactic classes as a reward or break. At PTA meetings you can present it in a great forum to educate parents. 6. In the practice setting, after screening patients for disabilities, and ruling out disorders which could prevent practice of the exercises, doctors will demonstrate and teach regular practice of the Posture Pod for initial habituation. Then they will slowly add other exercises. Doctors will screen individuals carefully to make sure the exercises are appropriate for them, taking particular precautions with individuals, who have disorders which limit exercise or activity and the elderly.
7. By educating patients, students and communities to improve their spinal health and enhance the quality of their lives, doctors, health educators and other fitness experts will strengthen their position as leaders in health promotion and wellness. Everyone will benefit through the process of implementing “Straighten Up”. Making It Real: What’s Crucial? We believe that there is a tremendous window of opportunity at this time in the arena of spinal health promotion and wellness. By improving our own spinal health behaviors and quality if life, we will be able to empower our patients/students/clients and our communities in improved spinal health and an enhanced quality of life. “Straighten Up” will be successful to the degree that we practice the program ourselves and communicate it with enthusiasm to others. Just as the dental profession led the public in establishing daily patient-active dental care practices, it is our time to lead the public in daily patient-active spinal health practices. The good news is that “Straighten Up” is fun and health promoting. The whole exercise set takes only two or three minutes to perform and the Posture Pod takes 30-40 seconds. Still success will require commitment on all of our parts. Health habits do not change easily. Working together we have the opportunity to make a positive impact on our society for generations to come. That is the vision for “Straighten Up”. Let’s make it real together. It’s our vision and our future. It takes all of us.