Your Body's Posture---Get It Corrected, 1
Starting today, I will begin a four part series about your body's posture. For your body to reach optimal strength, flexibility, balance and power, you must correct your postural imbalances and dysfunctions as much as possible.
Let's start by talking about correct body posture. I will write about postural imbalances and postural distortion patterns in the articles to follow.
The structural alignment of your body is called posture. The human movement system (kinetic chain) consists of three independent and interdependent systems: muscular system (functional anatomy), skeletal system (functional biomechanics) and neural system (motor behavior).
These systems must function properly to allow the kinetic chain to maintain structural integrity and operate efficiently. The central nervous system collects information (sensorimotor integration) from these three systems to maintain neuromuscular control over the body. Below is an example of good and poor standing posture:
Your body should also maintain correct transitional and dynamic posture (discussed in Part 2)
If one component of the kinetic chain is out of alignment, patterns of tissue overload and dysfunction will develop. This misalignment, if left uncorrected, will decrease your neuromuscular control and the cumulative injury cycle will begin.
And, you probably have guessed that this will decrease your performance and lead to injuries. Also, everyone has more than one postural misalignment or distortion pattern. These postural problems need to be identified before you begin your exercise program.
That is why it is important to have a postural assessment performed by a fitness professional. In Part 2 of this series, I will discuss the cumulative injury cycle and postural distortion patterns. Stay tuned because your posture affects how you live, exercise and compete!
Let's start by talking about correct body posture. I will write about postural imbalances and postural distortion patterns in the articles to follow.
The structural alignment of your body is called posture. The human movement system (kinetic chain) consists of three independent and interdependent systems: muscular system (functional anatomy), skeletal system (functional biomechanics) and neural system (motor behavior).
These systems must function properly to allow the kinetic chain to maintain structural integrity and operate efficiently. The central nervous system collects information (sensorimotor integration) from these three systems to maintain neuromuscular control over the body. Below is an example of good and poor standing posture:
Your body should also maintain correct transitional and dynamic posture (discussed in Part 2)If one component of the kinetic chain is out of alignment, patterns of tissue overload and dysfunction will develop. This misalignment, if left uncorrected, will decrease your neuromuscular control and the cumulative injury cycle will begin.
And, you probably have guessed that this will decrease your performance and lead to injuries. Also, everyone has more than one postural misalignment or distortion pattern. These postural problems need to be identified before you begin your exercise program.
That is why it is important to have a postural assessment performed by a fitness professional. In Part 2 of this series, I will discuss the cumulative injury cycle and postural distortion patterns. Stay tuned because your posture affects how you live, exercise and compete!
