Postural Prescriptions for Performance

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Postural Prescriptions forPerformance

• Presented by
• Maureen Hagan
• BScPT (Physiotherapist), BA PE
• ACE, Can-Fit-Pro Certified
• 1998 IDEA International Program Director of the
  Year

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Your speaker today Maureen Hagan

• Physiotherapist
• IDEA International Program Director of the
  Year1998
• Vice President- Operations, GoodLife Fitness
  Clubs, Canada
• Director of Education-Can-Fit-Pro, Canada

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Session Objectives

• Learn how to build a functionally strong body for
  both daily living and peak performance.
• Define posture.
• Learn about the factors that can influence
  postural alignment.
• Discover how to assess and analyze static and
  dynamic posture within scope of practice.
• Identify common dysfunctional movement patterns
• Identify exercises that may help restore muscle
  balance and correct posture.

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Defining Posture

• It is your power foundation- a stacked framework
  from your feet through your legs, hips, spine and
  shoulders to your head. Lee Parore (Power
  Posture).

• The neutral position from which all movement
  arises or the keyboard on which your brain
  orchestrates movement.

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Defining Neutral Spine

• Alignment that optimizes the spines natural
  curves, with each part adding to whole body
  movement.

• Posture or position of greatest efficiency,
  around your center of gravity, with muscles on
  all sides, exerting pull.
• A balanced lumbar curve the position in which
  the lumbar spine and the pelvis are best aligned
  to receive the weight of the trunk with minimal
  joint stress.
• When lumbar curve is balanced you transfer forces
  between your upper and lower body with ease.

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Benefits of Neutral Spine

• More specifically
• Cervical spine gives your head freedom of
  movement,
• Thoracic allows rotation of your torso,
• Lumbar spines provides stability,
• Sacrum provides the base for your spine to sit
  on.
• Sacroiliac joints act as a pivotal axes allowing
  movement integration between your legs, pelvis
  and spine.

• Powerful movements depend on every part of the
  spine being strong.
• The spine coordinates whole body power via proper
  execution of movements or exercises.
• Perfect posture pays dividends- by reducing
  stress/loads which leads to tension in the
  antigravity musculature, degeneration of weight
  bearing structures, less efficient movement,
  misalignment and risk for injury.

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Power Posture

• Integration Push Test
• Its all about Whole Body Integration/Movement
  springing and flowing from your power center.

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Factors that influence Posture

• Aging- your body gradually loses its capacity to
  absorb and transfer forces however its not aging
  that influences posture as does
• Inactivity/sedentary living/reluctance to
  exercise -leads to loss of natural movement flow,
• Poor postural habits -eventually becomes your
  structure,
• Biomechanical compensation ? muscle imbalance,
  adaptive shortening, muscle weakness
  instability,
• Body composition increases load, stresses on
  spinal structure, leads to spinal deviation,
• Workspace ergonomics,
• Poor movement technique/execution/training ,
• Injury -leads to reduced loading capacity or
  elasticity,
• Others
• Posture is the single most common cause of
  painful soft tissue syndromes affecting the body!

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Postural Analysis Assessment includes

• Static Postural Assessment
• Dynamic Postural Assessment
• Gait analysis
• Flexibility assessment
• Muscle testing

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Static Postural Assessment

• Standing on both feet front, side and rear views
  
• Standing on one leg
• Sitting supported and unsupported
• Kneeling
• Supine
• Sleeping

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Dynamic Postural Assessment

• Performing
• A push- up
• A squat- with arms in front, lifting overhead
• A lunge
• Walking
• Lifting

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Upper Cross Syndrome
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Lower Cross Syndrome
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Kyphosis (with forward head and rounded
shoulders)
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Lordosis
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Flat Back
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Sway Back
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Strengthen the Weak for Integrated Power

• STANDING WITH STAB BALL AT THORACIC SPINE- CHIN
  GLIDES AND SCAPULAR
• SEATED ROW/LAT PULLS/SUPINE PULLOVERS/PRONE
  SHOULDER FLEXION (neutral spine)
• DEADLIFTS
• ALL FOURS/PRONE ALTERNATE ARM AND LEG LIFT
• SIDE LYING DOUBLE LEG LIFT/STANDING HIP ABDUCTION
  (with variations)
• SIDE LYING/SITTING LATERAL TRUNCK FLEXION
• PRONE PLANK/HOVER (with scapular stability)
• HIP BRIDGE with variations
• MODIFIED ABDOMINAL CURL UP with focus on
  maintaining neutral spine (balloon)
• PRONE BACK EXTENSION (both lumbar and thoracic
  regions)
• PRONE EXT PRESS UP
• SEATED/STANDING SHOULDER PRESS
• Emphasis is on leveling and stabilizing the
  pelvis.
• Assess also for leg length discrepancy and foot
  alignment. This creates the strongest foundation
  for efficient upright postural power!

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Performance Power

• Bend and Lift Power Test
• Begins with this fundamental movement pattern
  that needs to be strong.

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Stretch the tight for whole body mobility

• SUPINE/STANDING STRAIGHT LEG HAMSTRING stretch-
  with neutral spine
• PRONE QUADRICEP stretch (with hip extension and
  adduction)
• LOW LUNGE with lateral body opposing
  stretch(psoas muscle)
• PRONE EXTENSION PRESS UP
• SUPINE SPINAL ROTATION with alternate upper body
  rotation
• SUPINE INNER THIGH STRETCH (at the wall)
• FIGURE 4 STRETCH (standing or floor)
• SEATED OR STANDING ANTERIOR SHOULDER/CHEST (WITH
  EXTERNAL ROTATION) stretch
• CALF stretch
• SITTING LATERAL FLEXION (against wall with hands
  behind head)
• STANDING ITB/QUADRATUS LUMBORUM
• FIGURE 8 STRETCH (upper body)
• Stretch big to small, breathe and maintain for
  30-60 seconds

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Performance Power Points

• Bend and Lift Power-bend your knees, pull navel
  in, maintain your lumbar curve, hold your breath
  and push with your legs to initiate lifting.
• Twisting- allow your hips to steer, rotate
  through your hips, engage your abdominals, twist
  between your shoulder blades and move your eyes.
• Leg Power- push the ground with your feet, keep
  your knees aligned and engage your abdominals.
• Pushing Power- keep your elbows in front of your
  shoulders, your tongue on the roof of your mouth,
  engage your abdominals and push with legs.
• Learn correct movement in a slow and meaningful
  manner, then add rhythm and speed.
• Train specifically for movement that you wish to
  become more powerful in performing (increase by
  20).

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Checklist for Aligning the Spine1. Set the
feet/foundation2. Secure the pelvis3.
Stabilize the scapulae4. Position the
headEverything links. Posture can be structural
(how you were born) or functional (how you cope
with your body weight or have adapted over time).
Dr Michael Colgan
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To achieve perfect posture use assessment and
analysis only to assist you (not a fix it tool)
in educating and inspiring your
clients/participants to power up their
posture.Performance will follow!
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References and Resources

• Chaplin, Lori, MS, Maloney, Ryan Picture Perfect
  Posture IDEA Personal Trainer, Sept 2002
• Hagan, Maureen, FIT-iology- the Study of Fitness
  In Action, Volumes I (Lessons 9 10) I
  (Lesson 24) Volumes Publishing. Go to
  www.mohagan.com
• Ellison, Deborah Creating Muscular Balance-
  Assessment and Program Design Charts.
• Florence Peterson Kendall Muscle Testing and
  Function 4th Edition- Williams Wilkins 1993
• McGill, Stuart, Low Back Disorders-Evidence
  Based Prevention and Rehabilitation
• Parore, Lee, Power Posture- The Foundation of
  Strength, Apple Publishing
• STOTT Pilates Mat and Reformer Support
  Materials Manual
• Vogel, Amanda Helping Clients Find Neutral
  Spine, ACE Certified News, Feb/March 2001
• Webb, Karen, Dr Darien Lazowski Body Basics for
  bones Birchcliff Publishing Inc.
• www.nasm.org for BodyMap to assist postural/body
  assessments

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Contacting your speaker...

• Maureen can be reached at
• 519-661-0190 ext 245
• Email
• mo_at_goodlifefitness.com
• mohagan_at_canfitpro.com
• Website
• www.mohagan.com
• Maureens FIT-iology books (Volume I II) can
  be
• purchased on-line or direct through Can-Fit-Pro
• at 1800-667-5622