Posture – Part One

From a functional perspective posture is dynamic because movement consists of a series of postures. The only time posture is still or posed is in a photograph. As far as I am concerned posture is the ability to move through a multitude of positions with control to be able to reduce and produce force as needed or required by the sport.

Many of us have less than fond childhood memories of being told to sit up straight or to stand tall, don’t slouch. Those childhood memories/ experiences only serve to reinforce the concept of posture as a still and stiff position. Many of us have had our “posture” assessed standing in front of a posture grid. This is further reinforcement of posture as a static quality. Profound conclusions are often deduced from these static posture grid analyses. Some of which are correct and many of which are erroneous. Posture grids and static analysis of posture are easy to administer and convenient to interpret but often have little or no carryover to movement. Remember just because something is convenient does not make it right. It certainly is simpler to have the athlete stand still, but performance is not a static position in one posture, but an endless series of postures. Perhaps the most important aspect of posture is the transition from one posture to another. That demands that you train to observe key points in movement. To be able to do that effectively you must know the athlete and understand the demands of their sport. Seeking to identify and correct imbalance as indicated by static positions is a futile effort. It is very possible that the imbalance will be corrected, but there will be no change in performance. Often when one imbalance is corrected another will appear some where else. Remember posture is highly adaptative and adaptable to the demands of the activity. The longer an athlete pursues a particular activity the more the posture will adapt the activity.

If assessing posture statically is not the best way then what is the best way to assess posture? The most preferable way is in motion using a combination of the naked eye and video. The analysis must be done in the context of the goal of the movement. Observe the flow and pattern of movement; do not try to pick out small defects. Chances are if there a flow and smoothness to the movement then everything is acceptable, even if a defect was detected in a static position.

Optimum posture is an outcome, not a specific performance objective. What does good posture do? It allows optimum ability to reduce and produce force. For example the optimum posture for acceleration is the triple extension of ankle, knee, and hip. This posture will allow the body to exert force back against the ground to propel the body forward. Posture is closely related to functional strength and motor control in regard to recruitment of muscles to produce efficient movement along the kinetic chain. Using strength training to improve posture demands multi plane work coupled with high proprioceptive demand.

In terms of execution of motor skills, dynamic posture is a vital cog in the process. Dynamic postural alignment and subsequent dynamic muscle balance are the basis for all training. Posture is a dynamic quality; it is not static! It is certainly not a posed still position standing in front of a posture grid. Posture is highly individual to each person’s body structure and highly adapted to the sport activity the athlete is engaged in. According to Logan and McKinney, “The mature athlete tends to have a posture which is related to his particular sport if he has trained for years to become expert at his specific position or event. The reason for this phenomenon is the fact that the body tends to adjust or adapt to the various stresses or demands imposed upon it as a result of prolonged muscular activity.” (Logan and McKinney, page 149)

Posture is a dynamic controlling quality. It is helpful to think of athletic movement not as one posture, but as a series of postures. Optimal dynamic alignment of the segments of the kinetic chain throughout movement yield coordinated movement. If one segment or link in the kinetic chain is out of sync, this sets up the potential for performance error as well as a predisposition to injury if the movement is repeated enough. One of the main functions of the muscles of the body is to maintain an upright position. Maintenance of this position requires significant integrated activity of the large muscle groups of the body. Logan and McKinney have termed the muscles that are most active in resisting the force of gravity the anti-gravity muscles. They go so far as to state “the antigravity muscles are the most important muscle groups which make possible the maintenance of body postures in sport, exercise, and dance situation.” (Logan and McKinney, page 150.) The four muscle groups that are the primary antigravity muscle groups are : the gastroc soleus group, the quadriceps group, and the erector spinae group. When the body is upright, as is the case in most over ground sport activities, the antigravity muscle groups work in conjunction with other muscle groups to maintain upright posture. These muscles act on information from three major sensory systems in the body: the proprioceptive, vestibular and visual systems.

Therefore movements that work these muscles must be given prime consideration in a conditioning program. We must understand gravity’s effect on the body and the bodies interaction with the ground, gravity is essentially trying to smash us into the ground when we are just standing still, add to this the complexity of running, jumping or throwing, and it is easy to see how important these antigravity muscles are in determining successful postures for performance. The core muscles play a major role in dynamic posture because the large muscles of the core also act as “anti-gravity” muscles that give the body structural integrity to allow the limbs to position and reposition according to the demands of the activity.