Assessing Common Postural Faults
The human body is a fantastic machine. It is designed so that we can walk, run, jump, push and pull. It is autonomous and multifunctional and can adopt to many different situations, for instance, by strengthening or lengthening its muscles or adding a layer of fat to protect it from the cold. Unless you were born with a particular physical challenge, your body began life as a symmetrical and co-ordinated unit. As we grow older, many bodies are no longer aligned or symmetrical. The two sides function differently, with some muscles overworked and tight while others are weak and overstretched. So what does a well balanced body look like. First of all, both sides of the body have equal strength and flexibility. The shoulders, hips and ankle joints are level and symmetrical and the shoulder blades are back and down.
Posture Check:
Stand in front of a full-length mirror and look at yours reflection. Just relax and take up your usual stance without thinking about your posture, be normal. Assess your stance honestly, or ask a trusted friend for their assessment. Here are some common misalignments of the body.
Do you recognize any of these?
- The head may be tilted to one side, jut forward or tilt backwards.
- The legs may sway backwards.
- There may be a curved “C” shape in the spine.
- The back may be over arched.
- The shoulders are not level or parallel, one may be rotated forward or elevated or both shoulders may be rounded.
- The palms of the hands are turned backwards.
- The hip joints are uneven, tilted backwards and forwards or to one side.
- The knees and ankles may be rolling inwards or outwards and are asymmetrical.
- The feet turn in or out.
- The weight is not evenly distributed between the feet.
- The arches in the feet are collapsed.
