The Vance Stance

by Vance Bonner

Relieve pain. Enhance flexibility. Halt the eroding effects of aging. Dr. Vance Bonner has spent two decades teaching body mechanics, kinesiology, and exercise therapy. "The Vance Stance" is every reader's private seminar with Dr. Bonner. Beginning with simple self-diagnosis, here is a step-by-step, joint-by-joint series of sessions and stretching exercises that ease the body back to its original design so that a person can stand and move in balanced...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 156305311X
• ISBN13: 9781563053115
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Workman Publishing
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 10.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Helpful and realistic

I've had this book for several years. I did the program faithfully several years ago when I had a lot of spare time on my hands, but then stopped once my husband and I were living in the same city again (but that's another story...). Anyway, several years and two small children later, here I am with back pain, neck pain, knee pain. I remembered this book and dug it out of the bookshelf. After reviewing the concepts and the 34 exercises, I did just 3 of the 34 exercises. I know it sounds unbelievable, but just after doing those three, my body felt different. It felt more like NOTHING than ever before. And believe me, if you've got back and neck pain, feeling NOTHING is where it's at! I woke up the next morning and still felt NOTHING. Went through that day quite conscious of the difference in my posture and movements. Decided that I need to practice this method regularly, even if it's just 15 minutes a day, or on those really crazy, busy days, just 5 minutes to do 3 exercises. And that's where this book fits reality. Although 34 exercises sounds like A LOT (and it is!), Bonner says that you don't have to do all of them at once. She suggests that you try them all to find out where you need work, but you can put your own set of exercises together to put the focus on where YOU need help. She identifies which exercises are helpful for certain problems or certain activities that you are involved in. It was easy for me to pinpoint a few exercises that I need to do faithfully and another handful that are helpful to sprinkle in occasionally. If I had even more time, I'd do more exercises. But doing something is better than nothing...try it and I think you'll agree.

excellent guidebook!

This book provides excellent imagery and photos to help you see what good posture really means. The images are helpful to be able to recall as necessary and bring yourself back into alignment. I found it to be the most helpful book that I could locate on the very specific subject of posture.

Very user-friendly format of outstanding concepts/exercises

I have spent nearly 20 years researching and studying various forms of self-care type body-mind awareness techniques and modalites. I had been searching for one that made sense, produced obvious results, and would allow the student to eventually be independent (or at least not fully dependent) of or on the teacher and still get results. Much to my delight, I found all that and more with The Bonner System of Structural Reprograming! The book is written in a very friendly and encouraging tone, with clear photographs and instructions. An added bonus are the many true-life accounts of some of her actual students. I highly recommend it for preventative self-care as well as injury or surgery recovery, or if you are just plain tired of your chronic pain. A great investment in yourself! A good book to have on hand even if you don't think you need it now. (I recognized this as such extraordinary work that I sought out Dr. Bonner and became trained by her to do this work myself!)

An easy to follow manual.

Since I have started reading this book, I have been amazed by the changes in my body. I have only started the program and my chronic hip pain is already subsiding. The book doesn't waste time with long explanations and stories. Rather, it illustrates how an imbalanced posture can lead to stressed joints and back pain. I thought I understood what "good posture" was until I compared my own posture to her illustrations of bad posture. I am amazed that one slight adjustment can make such a difference. This book is by no means a replacement for medical care, but I highly recommend it as a manual for those who wish to discover more about the relationship between posture and chronic pain, and what they can do to correct it. Bonner provides a series of exercises that are easy to do and that don't require any special equipment. I think it is a "must read" for anyone who suffers from chronic back pain.

Lots of excellent, straight forward information.

I interviewed Ms. Bonner in 1994 on her book tour. This book is beautifully illustrated and easy to follow. She certainly practices what she writes as her posture was picture perfect. I own the book and find it helpful.Like most things, practice makes perfect, and her system of posture is no exception. However, it does work!