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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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)

Lets get started.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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)

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

muscles have become habituated to being used in this way and its 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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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 doesnt 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

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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 its 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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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 peoples 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 isnt a lot of space left in his collapsed torso which will impede the digestive process.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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 bodys 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

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

To see these three sitting postures in action please click below.

Play_Video

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

4. Why Do We Develop Poor Posture?

Just for a moment image yourself as a car. Now, you wouldnt 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., its subconscious so we dont 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 dont want to hear exercise re-enforces the bad habits that got you to where you are today! Its true. Exercises encourage you to use your body in a way that it actually doesnt 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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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 shortterm 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. Im 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 reeducating 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 wont 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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

During this time I have seen what works and what doesnt so rest assured it contains no repetitive exercises! They really dont 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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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 cars 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 bodys 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 shouldnt be, it has an effect similar to treading on a hosepipe! The flow is interrupted, pressure is increased and your overall health will suffer.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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!

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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sports training that will get you into The Zone. Achieve your true potential by learning how to eradicate the habits that are holding you back!

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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 Chappells 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.

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

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!

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

A Do-It-Yourself Posture Assessment Guide

Contact Information

If you have any questions about what you have read here or would like to add your own comments please email_me