Sit Up Straight: Futureproof Your Body Against Chronic Pain with 12 Simple Movements

by Vinh Pham, Jeff O'Connell

Overview

Futureproof your body and relieve chronic pain resulting from sitting, slouching, and other bad lifestyle habits with this easy-to-perform set of daily stretching and movement routines—from an innovative physical therapist and social media star who coaches dozens of celebrity clients.

What if we could easily acquire long-lasting protection for our bodies and escape the chronic pain caused by our sit-all-the-time, slouch-too-much lifestyles?

Vinh Pham is a world-class physical therapist who has worked with a broad range of clients—from Olympians to NBA stars to MMA fighters to Golden Globe and Grammy Award–winning artists. Early in his career, he discovered a disappointing truth: most of his patients came to him already in pain. They had lifestyle habits that misaligned their joints and tightened their muscles. And the recent epidemic of prolonged sitting—which represents an all-day assault on the body—has only made things worse. If you’re sitting for more than thirty minutes at a time without getting up, you may be heading toward a world of hurt.

Vinh’s answer to the host of muscle maladies that ails us has been a revolutionary concept: why not futureproof? Instead of reacting to chronic pain after it flares up, what if we focused on a “movement discipline” that not only prevents injuries but leads to longer lives, healthier bodies, and a clearer mind?

A precise and simple toolkit for tweaking the way we move (or refuse to move), Sit Up Straight outlines a process that starts with a daily posture regimen. Performed correctly, Vinh’s twelve simple movements, which can be done in twenty minutes, will lock in protection for the rest of the day. But Vinh goes further. He provides stretching and exercise routines for many of the specific ailments that affect us—from hamstring pulls to sciatica to rotator cuff problems—and, best of all, he offers a series of customized movements based on age, gender, and the kind of work we perform.

“No fancy equipment required...full of good and clear tips and wisdom” (Booklist), Sit Up Straight shows that the solution to becoming pain-free is easier than we think.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781982181567
Publisher:	Scribner
Publication date:	05/10/2022
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	523,489
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Vinh Pham is a licensed physical therapist with over a decade of experience working with industry-leading health and wellness brands and treating top athletes, celebrities, and entrepreneurs. He is the founder of Myodetox, a group of design-forward manual therapy clinics that are reimagining the traditional therapy and rehab experience. Using his unique system of manual therapy, Vinh posts daily educational videos that help millions of people learn how to take care of their bodies. Vinh is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Follow him on Instagram (@VinnieRehab).

Jeff O’Connell, formerly Editor-in-Chief of Bodybuilding.com and Muscle & Fitness, is the author of Sugar Nation and has cowritten such bestsellers as Spartan Up! and LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

1 Posture, Pain, and a Pandemic 1

2 The Blueprint of Your Body's Posture 15

3 Sixteen Health Landmines Related to Bad Posture 47

4 Movement is Life 65

5 Understanding Where You Stand 79

6 The Posture Hygiene Plan 103

7 Foam Rolling for Next-Level Mobility 141

8 Ten Common Health Ailments Solved 157

9 The Challenges Facing Specific Groups 177

10 A Your Spine Doesn't Operate in a Vacuum 197

11 Turning Perfect Posture into an Unbreakable Habit 205

12 The Time to Start Is Now 211

Sources 215

Acknowledgments 223

Editorial Reviews

This book could change your life. Sit Up Straight is full of straight talk about what sitting for hours at a time does to our bodies. Vinh’s special gift as a globally recognized physical therapist has always been knowing, at a deep level, how the body works. He may even know your body better than you do.... If you’re always feeling that ache or twinge and don’t know where to even start, Vinh is your guy!”
—Kayla Itsines, co-creator of workout app Sweat and named by Time magazine as one of the 30 Most Influential People on the Internet

“Vinh calls on us to move and feel better—to recognize that good health and agile movement are our birthright.”
—Kelly Starrett, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming a Supple Leopard

“Extremely valuable. You’ll discover in his book plenty of movement secrets.”
—Javier Hernandez, striker for LA Galaxy, and Mexico’s all-time leading goal scorer

“My body was wrecked after four seasons of shooting Into the Badlands.... In just four sessions Vinh ‘fixed’ me! Besides the amazing treatment, what I appreciated is that he gave me exercises I could take home to, literally, get me straight. You may not be a martial artist or even a high-level athlete, but I can guarantee that you’re doing something in your daily routine that isn’t good for your body....Sit Up Straight teaches you how to ‘futureproof.’”
—Daniel Wu, Executive Producer and star of AMC's Into the Badlands

“The kind of twisting that athletes must do to win snowboarding medals isn’t possible without maximum flexibility. Your movement goals may not involve competing at the X Games, but if you want to understand how your body works and how you can make it work for you in the future, read Vinh’s book.”
—Chloe Kim, World, Olympic, and X Games Halfpipe Champion

“I’ve spent years testing myself in endurance events and founding Spartan competitions, which has given me an appreciation of the rare few who know how the body works and can offer tips that will make recovery happen sooner. Vinh Pham is one of those with ‘the knowledge.’ Listen to him. He’ll save you from pain, and help you push past what you thought were your limits.”
—Joe De Sena, New York Times bestselling author of Spartan UP! and Executive Producer of NBC’s Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge

“A wonderful book...As a trainer, I’m all about having fun. But you can’t have fun if you’re in pain. Sit Up Straight is a mobility map that steers us away from pain and closer to our best self. Read it! Your body will thank you!”
—Kaisa Keranen, founder of Just Move, frequently seen in such magazines as
Vogue, Shape, and Self

"This book can dramatically affect the person you’ll be years from now. Vinh delivers quick and effective movements that won't take much time and can easily be implemented into anyone's work week. He helps you better understand posture, tension, and why achieving certain positions with the body can be so helpful. So...sit up straight and get moving!"
—Jen Esquer, DPT, ranked as one of the best physical therapy trainers on Instagram by Shape Magazine and cohost of The Optimal Body Podcast

“Performing at a high level in the gym—or just getting through life without pain—is about more than just willing yourself to finish. It’s about understanding how body part A works with body part B. No one knows that better than Vinh. His book is a roadmap to a life of no limitations.”
—Ron Boss Everline, Entrepreneur and Fitness Trainer

“Sit Up Straight offers a lot more than the admonition in the title. (Spoiler alert: Your mom wasn’t wrong.) Its posture-improving exercises show you where you lack mobility and stability, giving you valuable tools to fix the problems you have and prevent the ones you’re at risk of developing.”
—Lou Schuler, National Magazine Award-winning journalist, former fitness director at Men’s Health, and author of The New Rules of Lifting

“This book asks you to get honest with yourself about the daily toll you’re taking on your body....Sit Up Straight isn’t just for the slouchers among us. It’s an insight-filled manual for anyone with muscles and joints—yes, that’s all of us—who wants to remain pain-free. Integrating this daily into your life can make a big difference!”
—Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, co-owner of well-being consulting company Mohr Results, Inc.

“Keeping your body in good alignment and health not only allows you to move freely but helps all the intricate systems in your body work in harmony. Vinh is a movement expert who’ll teach you new things...Read his book now and you’ll be reaping the rewards years from now.’
—Fai Khadra, artist

“Pham and O’Connell enthusiastically argue that good posture and simple daily exercises can help people take control of their health. No fancy equipment required....Full of good and clear tips and wisdom.”
—Booklist

From the Publisher