Why is posture important?
~7 minute read
We’ve been told for years that it’s important to have a good posture but very rarely is it ever explained WHY it’s so important.
Over time, our muscles get used to being in a certain position. If we’re constantly putting them in bad positions, they’ll begin to fix themselves into these position more permanently. This creates imbalances and imbalances are the cause of pain, disfunction and injury.
However, this can be reversed by understanding how the muscles interact with each other and learning the proper stretching and strength building techniques to ‘reset’ our muscles and return them to a good posture.
Causes
One of the primary reasons poor posture occurs is due to sitting for long periods of time. Think about a desk job for example:
Shoulders are often rolled forward to reach the keyboard
The head is often pushed forward closer to the screen
Hip flexors on the front of the hip are constantly in a shortened position from the chair
The glutes are rarely activated while sitting
The core is almost never used throughout the day causing it to weaken
(A position you’re likely sitting in while reading this post!)
All of these minor postural imbalances add up over time. Sitting for an 8 hour period, 5 days a week causes the body to become accustomed to this position. Add a few decades of working like this into the equation and the muscles can become chronically tight and lose their strength needed for basic everyday living.
These common causes can often be explained by something called upper crossed and lower crossed syndromes.
Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS)
UCS is a muscle imbalance that occurs in the shoulders and neck. In UCS, the muscles that elevate the shoulder blades (upper trapezius and levator scapula) and the chest muscles (pectoralis major and pectoralis minor) become tight. When this tension builds up, muscle weakness occurs in the front of the neck (deep neck flexors) and the lower portion of the upper back (lower trapezius) causing a ‘cross’ of muscular imbalances.
UCS can lead to a slouching or slumped over posture. The shoulders roll forward and an increased curve in the mid-back occurs, as seen in someone with a hunchback.
This often leads to the neck pushing the head forward as well, which can become very problematic. For every inch forward, the head weighs an extra 10 pounds which can be very fatiguing and cause further problems in the neck and shoulders.
With this poor positioning of the shoulder blades, the mechanics of how the shoulders move changes entirely. There are over a dozen muscles that connect to the shoulder blades, so if the shoulder blades aren’t correctly positioned, all of these muscles are affected. Muscles that are supposed to move the shoulder a certain way cannot fire, and other surrounding muscles will have to compensate for the movement.
This repetitive compensation over time can lead to shoulder instability, neck and arm pain, and degeneration of cartilage in the joints.
Common injuries related to UCS
Shoulder pain- shoulder pain occurs because the anterior (front) muscles of the upper trunk (pectoralis major, minor and deltoids) become very tight causing the shoulders to roll forward. This forward position causes the shoulders stabilizing muscles to become weak.
The muscles of the upper back (levator scapulae and upper trapezius) can also be very tight which ends up ‘locking’ the shoulders into this position.
By stretching the upper trapezius and the anterior chest muscles, we give the shoulders the range of motion they need to be properly positioned.
By strengthening the anterior neck muscles and the lower trapezius, it allows the back muscles to pull the shoulder blades back and down, putting the shoulder in a more stable position.
Lower back pain- Although not directly caused by UCS, tightness and poor posture in the upper back can cause excess motion and increased load on the lower back, leading to lower back pain and dysfunction. Lower back pain will be discussed more in lower crossed syndrome.
Lower Crossed Syndrome (LCS)
LCS is a muscle imbalance that occurs around the hip joints. In LCS the hip flexors (Iliopsoas) and low back muscles (erector spinae) become tight and shortened, which causes weakness in the abdominals and the gluteus maximus.
This imbalance results from an anterior (forward) tilt of the pelvis and an over extension of the lower back muscles trying to compensate for this pelvic tilt. This posture tends to overstress both hip joints, as well as the lower back, and often lead to tightness in the hip flexors (anterior hip muscles).
Tightness in the lower back can also cause weak abdominal muscles making it difficult to stabilize the core. An unstable core can make everyday tasks (such as picking something up off the ground) more challenging and can lead to a number of different musculoskeletal injuries.
Common Injuries related to LCS
Knee pain- the primary cause of knee pain is due to tight hip flexors and weak glutes. Doing exercises that help to strengthen the glutes and core muscles will be beneficial to help stabilize the body during movement, and stretches that relieve tension in the hamstrings, lower back and hip flexors will help increase the range of motion in knee and hip joints.
Core strength is also beneficial as bracing the core while doing everyday activities (such as picking something up, tying shoes, sitting on the couch, etc.) will help reduce the effort and repetitive strain that’s constantly aggravating the knees causing further injury.
Lower back pain- Increased tension in the lower back and hips causes the low back to bear a lot of excess weight, which is not supported by the weakened core muscles and glutes. Strengthening the core and glutes is necessary to decrease the load on the back. Stretching the hips and lower back allows the muscles to relieve tension and help correct posture.
Solutions 💪
The solution is to stretch and release the muscles that are tight, and strengthen the muscles that are weak.
Here at Evertrain, we have a well educated staff that deals with UCS and LCS on a daily basis. We have an extensive variety of stretches and mobility drills (that we coach our online personal training clients on) that can help relieve the tension in stiff muscles and exercises to help strengthen the weaker ones.
If you think that you might have UCS or LCS and need some assistance, we’re happy to help!
We are now taking on more online personal training clients to assist in postural correction, injury prevention and personal training from the comfort of your own home.
To learn more about how we can help you life a fit and pain free life, schedule a FREE consultation with an Evertrain Success Coach by clicking on the button below. 👇
Thanks for reading and remember, keep those shoulders back! 😀
Brandon - Online Personal Training Expert, Neuroscience and Mental Health graduate and Triathlete