WORKING TOWARDS BETTER POSTUREWe have already addressed the issues of core strength but what about poor posture? How does it develop or how do we inherit it? Some genetic factors may influence our posture, or our ability to perform an exercise with correct technique. This postural condition is known as a structural posture problem and usually the person is born with it.
Some postural problems are functional and this relates to how a person copes with his / her body weight in relation to movement or how they have adapted to a scenario such as back pain. If these scenarios are you, you may need support and education in order to identify these problems.
SOME COMMON POSTURAL PROBLEMS
Flat feet - (over pronation)
Can cause foot, knee, hip or back pain.
Scoliosis - (lateral spinal curvature C or S curve 30d or more)
Symptoms = shoulders at different heights
Raised or prominent hip
Uneven waist
Rib cages at different heights
Leaning of entire body to one side
Hyper kyphosis - (rounding or exaggerated curve in thoracic spine)
Symptoms = shoulder and neck pain.
Tight pecs, hip flexors, h/strings and adductors.
Weak neck & thoracic spine extensors.
Limited shoulder flexion & external rotation
Hyper lordosis - (excessive curve in either cervical or lumbar spine or both)
Symptoms = Neck or lower back pain, weak lower abs (anterior pelvic tilt), neck flexors and extensors. Tight hip flexors, iliopsoas, adductors and iliotibial (ITB) band.
POSTURAL SCREENING
IF you suspect a postural issue, a full postural screen is best performed by a physiotherapist and may include some of these tests-
Posture check / H/string calf flex test (straight leg raise / Adductor (short & long) flex test / Hip flexor flex test / Lumbar spine flex & ext test / Hip rotation prone & supine test / Shoulder flexion and external rotation test / Lower & upper ab strength test / Neck and mid back extensor test / Lower ab strength
A modified version that your personal trainer can adopt may include the following simple checklist
•Ideal posture check –
•Feet - check for supination / pronation
•Knees – even space between, check for knees turned in or out,Standing with locked knees
•Hips – level pelvis, hips raised or lowered
•Scapula – from rear, even space between spine and shoulder
•Shoulders – raised or lowered
•Neck and ears – even
•Head – centered or to one side
•Chin - protrusion
Other simple checks that can be applied relate to muscle bulk
Quads – proportional to leg, even R & L
Erector spinae- even both sides of spine
Trapezius – proportional to back, raised on one side
Calf muscles- overdeveloped, underdeveloped, proportional to legs
You may notice girth measure differences on R & L sides, or notice a dominant side of the body.
Check performance of ab endurance / upper body endurance for weaknesses.
FACTORS EFFECTING POSTURE IN VARYING AGE GROUPS
CHILDREN
Current obesity levels / Lack of physical activity / Mode of transport eg: to & from school / Family issues: lack of quality meals, parents working / Carrying backpacks / Poorly fitted shoes
TEENS
Activity levels / obesity / Sitting for long periods – TV, computers / Fashion – shoes + bare bellies / Bras / Scheuermann’s kyphosis / fast growth issues
MID AGE
Sedentary occupations/ Repetitive manual labourer / Lack of fitness understanding / education / Quick fix / fad generation / Fashion – shoes / Slouching / coach potatoe
ELDERLY
Past history / occupation manual labour, years of repetitive tasks / Physical conditions eg: osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and disease
BASIC EXERCISES TO START YOU ON THE ROAD TO BETTER POSTURE
See previous blog for CORE ACTIVATION EXERCISES
A NATURAL PROGRESSION
Don’t run before you walk with these exercises. Allow for precision, and ensure you are performing them on a daily basis and have progressed accordingly before you take the next step!
STORK POSE – recruits rectus, adductors, abductors & TAs.
•Stand on one leg, place other foot on inner thigh (options floor, heel)
•Tighten opposite buttock, press foot to thigh, thigh back to foot
•Centre weight on whole of standing foot
•Grow tall through crown
•Activate shoulder, and core stabilisation and connect breath.
SITTING ON EXECISE BALL – encourages postural muscle activity through instability.
•Sit on the ball correct height for size
•Buttocks centred
•Shoulders gently retracted
•Keep S curve in spine
•Maintain core activation & breath
•Try to raise one leg off floor slightly
•Maintain pelvic alignment
•Keep postural height
LATERAL STABILITY ON EXERCISE BALL – strengthens shoulders, neck and lower back
•Kneel behind ball and hold fit ball with arms
•Keep neck in neutral position
•Recruit core and raise one knee off the floor slightly, keep toes / foot grounded
•Maintain pelvic alignment
•Alternate knees
PRONE SINGLE LEG / FOOT SLIDE – strengthens erector spinae / multifidus
•Lay face down on floor / head supported on arms
•Draw navel away from floor (imagine - slide a cold sheet of steel under belly)
•Gently slide one foot away from your buttocks, keep toes in contact with the floor,
•Maintain breath
•Buttocks relaxed!
•Alternate feet and repeat
OPPOSITE HAND AND FOOT RAISE SLIDE – strengthens erector spinae / multifidus
•Lay face down on floor, arms extended overhead
•Draw navel away from floor (slide cold sheet of steel under belly)
•Draw chin in
•Extend opposite arm / hand and leg / foot from floor.
•DO NOT aim for height in this exercise. Focus on length of each lever (legs + arms) away from the midline of the body.
•Maintain breath
ALL FOURS / HORSE STANCE – strengthens erector spinae / multifidus, gluteal
•On hands and knees. Hands under shoulders, knees directly under hips, knees hip distance apart
•Distribute weight evenly an all fours
•Draw navel in away from floor – don’t let back arch excessively or buttocks raise, keep body, hip, shoulders square to floor
•Eyes to floor avoid neck hyper extension
•LEVEL ONE – raise one knee or hand off the floor at a time
•LEVEL TWO – raise one leg or arm off the floor at a time
•LEVEL THREE – Raise opposite arm and leg off the floor together, hold 6-8 sec
•MAINTAIN breath,core activation,correct form & alignment at all times.
With a bit of time and patience each day you will start to feel stronger, walk taller and have better posture.
Marg Anderson - Information collated, written and presented for Fitness W.A. ©2011
