Postural Retraining & Muscle Balance

POSTURE
When people not only exercise with but live their life with good posture they have the ability to ‘function’ efficiently and so with reduced risk or injury.
What is ideal posture?
Posture describes the position the body is in at any one time. Ideal posture places the skeleton in good alignment in order to distribute forces travelling through it.

Much like a car, regular use and repetitive trips may lead to imbalances and changes in the ideal distribution of forces that are experienced during movement.
What can cause poor posture?
Muscle imbalance
Poor core stability
Low self esteem/depression
Lack of physical awareness
Occupation
Pregnancy
Injury
Disability
Congenital joint or spinal abnormalities
Which muscles in the human body generally tend to get tight and shorten (become tight)?
Rectus Femoris (major muscle in quads/thigh)
Hamstrings
Hip flexors (iliopsoas)
Pec major/minor (chest)
Upper trapezius (back/shoulders)
Scaleni
Levator Scapulae (muscles around the shoulder blade)
Sternocleidomastoid (neck)
Gastrocnemius (calf)
Lower back (QL)
Which muscles in the human body generally become weak (lengthen)?
Lower back muscles
Deep abdominal muscles
Lower/mid trapezius and rhomboids
The gluteals (bum!)
Muscles of the rotator cuff (a group of small stabilising muscles in the back)
Types of muscles imbalances
Agonist – Antagonist (e.g. bicep/tricep or chest/back)
Left – Right (often lower back or shoulders)
Commonly TIGHT muscles
Commonly WEAK muscles
IDENTIFYING POSTURAL ABNORMAILITIES