align your spine

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE: A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

Author: Roy Palmer MSTAT

This eBook is the intellectual property of the author.

Copyright © Roy Palmer 2007 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

First edition: June 2007

If you are currently experiencing back pain or have a condition we recommend you seek medical advice before beginning a new program.


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Introduction

Before we start assessing your posture it is important to realize that we are

all different shapes and sizes and no one shape is ideal. Your outward shape

and its appearance is not the be all and end all. I have seen many people

who appear to have a good ‘plumb line’ posture only to discover they were

holding an inappropriate amount of tension in their body to maintain what

they assume to be the ideal shape.

I usually prefer to encourage people to be poised rather than think about

their posture and get hung up on the right shape. If you are poised this

means all the muscles in your body are doing exactly what they should be

doing to support you in any position and therefore your body will be the

right shape for that moment.

Having said all this, your shape can give an indication of where you may be

holding tension that could become the cause of muscle aches and pains. It

will also provide you with feedback on how your posture is developing (for

good or bad) over time if you keep photographs and measurements.

To assess your posture, without the need for high tech equipment, you will

need to take a few photographs (instructions on next page). Ideally you

should get someone to take these for you. If this is not possible you can use

the time delay feature on your camera but do allow plenty of time. Photos

of the back of your head as you rush to get into position are not really that

useful :0)

Let’s get started.


Taking the Photographs

Here are a few tips on getting the best photographs for our analysis

purposes.

• Wear a tee shirt and ideally shorts.

• If you have long hair please tie it up.

• Take the shots from as close as possible so the relevant

part of your body fills the frame.

• Digital photos can work best as you can load them onto

your PC and add the lines for assessment.

• Be natural :0)


Photograph Requirements

1) Standing:

1 x side full body

1 x front or back

2) Sitting:

1 x side full body

3) Head and shoulders:

Closer shot of head and shoulders

1 x side


1. Standing Posture

We will start by looking at the photographs of your standing posture. Firstly,

look at the image you took from the side and add the lines as I have done in

the photograph below.

Standing Posture (from the side)

1) Place the vertical (grey) line through the center of your ear and ensure

it is straight.

2) The horizontal (blue) line goes from the center of your ear to just below

your eye (known as the Frankfort Plane.)

Posture 1: Poised

In this example the standing posture is good. The

vertical line passes through the center of the body

with the ear being over the ankle joint and everything

else in between evenly balanced in front and behind

the line.

The blue horizontal passes correctly through the

center of the ear and to just below the eye socket.

This indicates the head is sitting in the correct

position and that the spine is not unduly out of

alignment.

If your picture looks similar to this then your standing

posture is good – as long as you are not trying to hold

this position.

However, I find few people know how to attain this

posture because once they have developed the postures below; their


muscles have become habituated to being used in this way and it’s difficult

to change by using conventional posture correction methods.

Posture 2: Slumped

This is probably the most common standing posture,

otherwise known as the slump or slouch. The vertical

line is passing mainly through the front of the body

and lands in front of the ankle joint. The upper back

and neck curve forward due to the weight of the head

(approx 10 lbs/ 4.5 kgs) pulling down at the front.

The blue line is not horizontal as before indicating the

head is dropped forward.

If your posture resembles this example you will need

to be mindful of the long term health implications –

see Posture and Health

Posture 3: Forced

The opposite of Posture 2 this is the traditional idea of

what standing up straight should look like. The line is

closer to the back of the body and the lower back is used

to ‘stand up straight’. This results in the chest pushing

upwards and the head held slightly back.

If your posture resembles this stance you are trying too

hard and may cause lower back pain.


Standing Posture (from the front/ back)

1) Place a vertical (thick red) line through the center of your head.

2) Place two further vertical (thin red) lines so they run through the top

of your armpits.

3) Place two horizontal (blue) lines across the shoulders and top of your

pelvis.

Ideally you should appear symmetrical, that

is, look the same both sides with both blue

lines being horizontal. However, do not be

too concerned if there is a slight difference.

If it doesn’t get worse you should be okay.

Here is an example of a slight scoliosis (a

twist in the spine) and as you can see this

causes an asymmetrical shape. If your photo

resembles this one then you should consider

taking action to improve your posture as it

can in the long term lead to muscular

problems.

Do not be tempted to try and straighten yourself up by lifting or twisting

your shoulders as this will add more tension to your torso. A balanced

standing posture is achieved by learning how to let your body support

itself by removing the habitual muscle tension.

see next page for sitting posture


2. Sitting Posture

We all spend more time sitting than standing so for most our sitting posture

will have more of an impact on our shape and health than other positions.

You were probably told to sit up straight at some point in your childhood

because we all know it’s not good to slump. However, neither is sitting with

your back ramrod straight!

Compare your sitting posture with the pictures below.

Sitting Posture 1: Poised

If your photo resembles this posture and you

can sit with no effort then well done!

This position puts virtually no stress on your

back as the weight of the head sits directly

on top of the spine and passes directly down

to the chair.

Also check the blue line is horizontal as with

the poised standing posture.

This is poised sitting and it far more desirable than the slump of forced

sitting postures on the following pages. The spine can maintain its natural

curves as it is not pulled out of shape by inappropriate muscular tension.


Sitting Posture 2: Slump/ slouch

If on the other hand this looks like your

posture you are not alone – this is the most

common one I see.

Note the white line now passes down the

front of the body so the weight of the head

is pulling the spine forward putting stress on

the neck and shoulder muscles. Over time

this can lead to quite serious discomfort.

Unfortunately sitting at a desk can do this

to most people’s backs! Your breathing,

circulation and digestion may suffer as a

result of sitting in this position for long

periods. The spine is unable to support the head as nature intended

resulting in additional effort from other muscles to keep the body upright.

Also, the ribs will be not be able to move up and sideways to facilitate good

breathing.

See the picture on the right for an even worse case

scenario. Look at the strain the head in this picture

will put on the spine - remember your head weighs

on average 10 lbs!

If this guy has just eaten his lunch there isn’t a lot

of space left in his collapsed torso which will

impede the digestive process.


Sitting Posture 3: Forced

This is probably what most people consider

to be a good sitting position. However, I

have put a big red arrow on it to give you a

clue where she is going wrong.

If your photo looks like this it is no doubt due

to being told to ‘sit up straight’ as a child. I

see many adults who suffer lower back pain

but continue to sit like this in the belief it is

‘good for the back’.

Yet when you compare this to the poised

sitting posture you can see what ‘sitting up

straight’ the conventional way will do for the

lower back.

This forced position actually shortens the spine and compresses the disks in

the lower back. Over time this can lead to a deterioration of these disks and

a considerable amount of discomfort.

As with the slump many of the body’s functions will be affected by the

excessive tension held in the body, not least the breathing as your ribs will

struggle to move inside the ‘straight jacket’ torso!

See next page for the video


To see these three sitting postures in

action please click below.

Play_Video

http://www.fitness-programs-for-life.com/media-files/improve_your_posture_sitting.wmv


3. Head and Neck Posture

The position of your head has a huge influence on the rest of your body.

Tiny muscles attached at the base of your skull to the top of the spine feed

vital information to your nervous system about your movement and position.

Tension in these muscles will ultimately change your posture and make

movement harder than it should be. The head is also heavy so if it is held in

the wrong position it will put stress on your spine and neck, shoulder and

upper back muscles.

The following photos show examples of common head/ neck postures.

Please note you should not try to hold your head in what you think is the

ideal position as this tends to lead to yet more unnecessary tension in your

neck.

1) Place a vertical line from the center of the ear down the middle of

the neck as in the photo on the next page. You will need to use the

curved line feature on your editor (I use Paint).

2) As with the previous photos add a horizontal line from the base of the

eye socket to the center of the ear.

See next page for examples of head & neck posture


Head/ Neck Posture 1: Balanced

This is a good position with the head sitting poised on top of the spine (in

the center of the skull behind where these two lines meet).

Ideally the blue line should be horizontal but this is very close. The neck is

upright and not pulled forward as in the next example.

When the head sits in this position the weight will be easily supported by

your whole body and minimal muscular effort is required. Static postures

and movement will be freer as your head-righting reflexes will be able to

work efficiently without interference from excessive tension.


Head/ Neck Posture 2: Forward

In this photo you can see the blue line is way off the horizontal due to

tension in the area indicated by the red arrow. This pulls the head

backwards on the top of the spine and eventually will cause it to collapse

forward as the weight of the head drops down in front of the neck.

Prolonged periods of sitting in front of a computer tends to cause this

posture if the screen at the wrong height.

This position requires more effort from the muscles of the neck and torso to

keep the head from dropping forward. It can lead to a stiff neck, upper

back and shoulder pain.


Head/ Neck Posture 3: Pulled Back

This is the result of anyone trying to get their posture right by using the

‘wrong kind of effort’. The head is pulled backed and the back and neck

arched in an attempt to be straight. This will cause tension at the back of

the neck and push the chest up.


4. Why Do We Develop Poor Posture?

Just for a moment image yourself as a car. Now, you wouldn’t dream of

driving your own car with the brake on but that is exactly what the majority

of adults do. We put too much effort into the simplest of tasks and as a

result use the wrong muscles and we are not even aware of it because it has

become a habit, i.e., it’s subconscious so we don’t know we are doing it.

If we drive our cars like most of us use our bodies they would start to

develop mechanical problems within a month. Part of the problem is our

body is very adaptable and resilient. It can put up with a tremendous

amount of misuse before it starts to complain.

You can sit slumped at your desk for years, usually starting from around the

age of 8 or 9, before things start to go wrong. This is an important point

because if after ten years of developing poor habits that change how you

move and how your muscles develop, it is not going to be a problem that

can be addressed by a quick fix!

Habit is the cause of poor posture, so it is your habits that have to change.

Here is something that many don’t want to hear – exercise re-enforces the

bad habits that got you to where you are today! It’s true. Exercises

encourage you to use your body in a way that it actually doesn’t want to be

used. Working on individual parts at a time, known as muscle isolation

techniques, will not improve how it works as a whole. Posture correction

exercises continue to break down the body until it cannot coordinate itself

as nature intended.


So to ask the question again, why do we develop poor posture? The answer

determines the solution. The conventional view is that it is due to habits

developed through laziness and to treat the condition we therefore need to

try harder to improve it. A lazy attitude may contribute to the problem, but

not in the manner we might expect.

We actually become lazy at being self-aware. We spend all day at the office

concentrating on what we have to do without any thought to how we do it.

When you reached to get something out of the bottom drawer did you bend

you back or just release your legs and let your body balance? The second

way is so much easier and puts less strain on your back. When you are

driving your car are you slumped over the wheel, slouched back with your

head resting on your chest or sitting poised and free?

In short, the activity you are concentrating on takes you out of your body

and out of the moment. You are fixed on the task and fixed in your body.

Tensions build up without you being aware until the aches and pains begin.

How we sit, stand, walk, run and even think becomes a habit until we know

of now other way.

Habit dominates our lives. Habits determine not only how we move and

react, but also how we think. These are your habits and once a habit is

learnt it cannot be unlearnt by trying harder!

To read more about posture please visit

the Posture_Pages on my website.

http://www.fitness-programs-for-life.com/posture.html


5. So What Can I Do About My Posture?

It is tempting to straighten our backs when we catch the reflection of our

slumped body in a shop window. We tend to do the same when we are

trying to create a good impression. Yet this is obviously only a very short-

term solution. It would not only be very hard work but fruitless to try and

do this every minute of the day.

There is no shortage of advice and products to help with your posture. I’m

sure when you were searching the internet for help you found many sites

selling specially designed chairs, beds, pillows and braces and shoes

guaranteed to improve it.

Added to that there will be hundreds of books and videos with exercises

‘designed’ to correct any postural defect you may have. However, whilst

some of these may help to alleviate the effects of poor posture they really

do not get to the root cause. Poor posture is a result of muscle imbalances

but the muscles themselves are not the cause.

Muscles do what they are told to do but the problem is we are usually

unaware of what we are telling them to do! Therefore the answer lies in re-

educating ourselves about how our body can be used as nature intended.

Once we remove the bad habits over time our body will assume its natural,

upright posture as the ‘built-in’ reflexes will be once more able to work as

they did in our youth.

Now you probably won’t be too surprised when I mention I have a complete

posture program available as a download on my website. I have designed

this based on ten years of teaching The Alexander Technique to thousands

of people with an interest in improving their posture and performance.


During this time I have seen what works and what doesn’t so rest assured it

contains no repetitive exercises! They really don’t deliver any long term

benefits. Among the many benefits it will:-

• Help you discover why you have poor posture

• Show you how to eliminate the cause

• Reduce muscle tension

• Reduce the impact of stress on your body

• Improve your image and self confidence

• Enhance your health and sense of well-being

• Instantly take 3-5 lbs off your appearance

I also provide online support if your require help or advice. If you would like

to know more please click_here.

To read more about posture please visit

the Posture_Pages on my website.

http://www.fitness-programs-for-life.com/improve_your_posture.html

http://www.fitness-programs-for-life.com/posture.html


6. Posture and Health

Coming back to the car analogy for a moment, if your tyres are out of

alignment it will cause problems with your car’s performance and handling.

If parts of the structure are in the wrong place its function will be impaired.

Your body is no different. All of your body’s functions can be affected by

poor posture.

For example, breathing is harder if you are putting downward pressure on

your ribcage if you slump.

The ribs need to move out and upwards

slightly as your lungs fill with air.

Excessive tension in the muscles

surrounding your torso will act like a

straightjacket and prevent this natural

movement.

I have already mentioned digestion in the section on sitting posture but at

the other end of the process even elimination can be upset by poor posture.

A significant number of people I have taught have found relief from

constipation once their posture improves! Your body relies on the smooth

flow of substances through networks of tubes such as blood, air, food and

the waste products. If muscles are over-active or you are placing a

downward force in places where it shouldn’t be, it has an effect similar to

treading on a hosepipe! The flow is interrupted, pressure is increased and

your overall health will suffer.


As well as implications for your health, poor posture will impact on your

confidence and image you portray. A body with inappropriate muscle

activity will slump and force the ‘soft bits’ downwards. A bulging stomach

may not be due to being overweight but simply as a result of a lack of

proper support from the right muscles.

We are told not to judge a book by its cover - but let's face it, we all do!

Body language is very important because so much communication between

us is non-verbal - would you buy a car from a round-shouldered, slouching

salesperson? What is your body saying about you? What is it saying TO you?

When you feel good, life is easier. When life is easier we feel good. When

your body feels and looks great so do you. It really does make sense to have

a good posture and it really should not be hard work, in fact, it should be

the easiest thing in the world if you do it right!


Posture Program

If you have found this ebook useful you might want to check out my posture program – see below

• 26 illustrations

• 10 video shorts

• 14 unique techniques

• Online help

How To Improve Your Posture Without Exercise is a 64 page downloadable

ebook with online help packed with advice and tips and how you can get a

great posture naturally without the effort and hard work. Here are five good

reasons to improve your posture:-

• Portrays a better, more confident image

• Instantly takes off 3 – 5 lbs in appearance

• You will look and feel younger

• Improves circulation, digestion and breathing

• Eliminates many aches and pains

For more information about this program please click_here

http://www.fitness-programs-for-life.com/improve_your_posture.html


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potential by learning how to eradicate the habits that are holding you

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About the author

Runner, cricket coach, martial artist and published author,

Roy has over 25 years experience in competitive sport and has

spent the last 10 studying performance enhancement. Like

many of us, he often had annoying injury problems, coupled

with backache and fatigue, but thought they were just ‘normal’. Until, that

is, he realised he was actually causing them himself. Conventional therapies

would work temporarily but only as long as it took for him to repeat the

same injury-causing habit.

After developing better movement through the Alexander Technique, he

began to enjoy sport again and gave up a career in telecommunications to

complete his three-year full-time training to teach the Technique. He now

achieves greater performance in his own sports than he did 10 years ago!

Roy works with people in many different sports and activities. He is an

active contributor to regular sports forums around the world, including Greg

Chappell’s Cricket Academy. He also applies his knowledge to help children

with learning difficulties, challenges with handwriting and co-ordination,

behavioural problems and dyslexia. Roy is available for one-to-one sessions,

group workshops and bespoke corporate programmes.


My experience of The Alexander Technique

One of my ambitions in my late teens was to run a marathon and for many

months my life revolved around achieving it, to the extent of overlooking

one vital aspect that seemed so obvious with hindsight. I followed a strict

diet and training timetable but made one big mistake - I neglected to assess

my running technique because in common with most people I assumed I

knew how to run.

Each day on returning from work I would put on my running kit, warm-up

and head off for my run. I eventually achieved my ambition by finishing a

marathon in 1984 but not before aggravating a condition that would

frustrate me for the next ten years. Shortly after the marathon I began to

experience back pain whilst running which became gradually worse until I

felt some level of discomfort in most of my activities.

At the time I blamed running so I promptly gave up and moved onto martial

arts to satisfy my need for physical activity and competitive sport. I

consulted a fitness coach and took advice on exercises to improve my

condition. For a while this seemed to help but as I progressed in karate I

began to experience difficulties again. The decision to change sport turned

out to be misguided as the culprit was not the running itself, but how I ran.

This problem was waiting to happen and existed before I began training.

The build up to the marathon accelerated the condition due to more

vigorous activity, changing my sport was not going to solve this problem as

this time it was how I applied myself to karate.

For my back pain I received treatment from an osteopath on a weekly basis

for about six months. The benefits would last for several days before the

aches and pains returned. I went on to consult a physical therapist and

chiropractor with much the same result. Thanks to the treatment I received

from these therapists I gained a welcome relief from my symptoms but the


cause of my problem was a little closer to home – it was me! As soon as I

left the treatment room I began to undo the results achieved by the

therapist as I resorted to my usual harmful habits. I also had been using

these habits to do the exercises as advised by my fitness coach - serving

only to re-enforce the poor habits.

After a number of years of this cycle I had reached the point of being

prepared to try anything and this is how I came to hear about The Alexander

Technique. I read an article in a newspaper and was intrigued by what it

had to say. I promptly found a teacher in my area and booked a course of

lessons. Soon after starting I began to appreciate the different approach

required to address my predicament: instead of complaining of my back

hurting me I began to ask ‘what am I doing with myself to cause this pain?’

Later I came to realise that the back pain itself was just a symptom of a

more fundamental problem – I had lost the ability of natural movement

partly due to, paradoxically, my preoccupation with exercise and sport.

Whilst I had thrown myself into every new sport with enthusiasm and vigour

I had not considered whether I knew how to ‘use’ my body well enough to

be able to do this. This had not been assessed by my fitness coach who

could only assess whether I performed the exercises correctly but not how I

moved generally. Participation in a new sport put additional stress onto my

body as I continued to use myself badly whilst attempting different or more

complex techniques.

An added complication was that the more I used myself in this way, the

worse my condition became, as my movement deteriorated through

repetition of poorly executed moves. Each training session helped only to

consolidate the habits that were at the route of the problem. In short I

became more proficient at moving badly and was totally oblivious to the

degradation until the pain began.

Through Alexander lessons I began to unlearn bad habits and eventually

returned to running and started again. I began to appreciate my teacher as


an expert fitness coach able to assess my performance and make changes at

the most fundamental level.

For the last ten years I have continued to experiment with The Alexander

Technique and fitness and found just how much can be achieved by first

learning how to do less and not more. It has opened up a whole new

perspective to how I approach my training and fulfil my role as a fitness

coach by adding some much needed intelligence!


Contact Information

If you have any questions about what you have read

here or would like to add your own comments

please email_me

http://www.fitness-programs-for-life.com/fitness_contact.html

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