Intelligent Exercise

SelectionFor posture and health

By Angelo Poli SPN, CFT, SET

Why is alignment so

important?

History has recorded through

art what the human form is

supposed to look like.

Note the upright head and

shoulders, squared hips, and

forward pointing knees.

Throughout history this has

been the the basic structure of

healthy people.

Today our bodies have

adapted to modern lifestyle in

harmful ways.

As technology has

improved, there is less and

less reason for us to leave the

seated or slumped position.

The area of greatest concern is

amongst our youth.

Here is a photo of school kids

in the 1940’s

Note the forward facing knees and squared shoulders

Here is a modern day photo of

a class field trip.

Excessive external rotation at the knee’s and rounded shoulders can

be noted in nearly all.

How does this relate to our

exercise selection.

Exercise whether for wellness or athletics has historically

been based on the premise that we need to condition our

bodies evenly. As of about 25 years ago this logic has

become increasingly flawed.

People no longer gain the same benefits from a “balanced”

conditioning program as they once did. This is due to the fact

that we are no longer a society of structurally balanced

people.

The #1 priority of exercise has changed.

Strengthening our muscles has become

the 2nd priority.

The #1 goal of our initial conditioning

efforts must be to strengthen “certain”

muscles and “stretch” others to counteract

the effects of the technology age on our

bodies.

.

Whether you’re managing chronic pain or you’re a mega

star athlete who needs to perform in front of millions, your

priority remains the same. Restore alignment to

whatever your anatomical limits allow.

Doing this first will insure that your conditioning improves

function and does not hinder it.

If you have anatomical limitations and your doctor has

recommended strengthening exercises as a safe modality

for you, then exercising for improved posture becomes

even more important.

Here’s a young lady with scoliosis Note in her before photo the forward rounding of her shoulders and internal

rotation at the hands.

While her alignment is not perfect a shift in her exercise selection resulted

in a measurable improvement in her alignment. She had recently given up

swimming as a result of pain. She now swims regularly.

This young performer was able to restore good

alignment despite his scoliosis.Note the position of his shoulders & hands

For this hard working lawyer the combination of weight

loss and proper exercise selection resulted in good

alignment.Note the position of his hands and feet

For this business man, turning 50 meant getting

in the best shape of his lifeNote the position of his arms and legs

This All State track and volley ball star improved

both her body composition and muscle balance.Note the position of her shoulders and arms

How do we maximize the benefits of

exercise if we have postural

deviations or chronic pain?

There are 4 keys to intelligent exercise

selection:

#1

Recognize the value of proper evaluation. Entering a pre-determined exercise program prior to thorough evaluation of your musculoskeletal needs is unlikely to manage all your needs.

Remember, a gradual shift is taking place in the fitness industry. As of yet the majority of conditioning programs even at the top professional levels are not taking into account our nations newly acquired muscle imbalances.

This means you must take responsibility for asking your fitness professional to check your hip, shoulder, knee, and ankle alignment prior to designing your exercise program. Doing so will keep everyone on the same page with your goals.

#2Train for Function First - Primarily select exercises that will

contribute to neutral alignment and not add to muscle

imbalances.

Most Americans walk with their head and shoulders sagging

forward with arms rotated in.

Determining what muscles are responsible for retracting our

shoulders doesn’t require advanced knowledge of anatomy.

Simply roll your shoulders forward. Ask yourself what muscles

you feel actively holding your shoulders forward. Next draw your

shoulders back and externally rotate your arms. Ask yourself

what muscles you feel primarily engaging to bring your

shoulders back. Emphasize training that draws your shoulders

back and avoid excessive training that draws your shoulders

forward. A postural specialist can teach you how to do this.

#2 continued

Look down at your knees throughout the day. Are your

knees and feet pointing forward. Most Americans are

rotated out.

Not everyone is the same though so make sure to

carefully check. If you’re rotated out it’s a good bet you

have tight hip flexors from sitting. Emphasize exercises

that lengthen and stretch your hip flexors rather then

shortening and tightening them. A postural specialist can

teach you how to do this.

#3

Train “Sport or Goal” specific. Each exercise should be evaluated based on its contribution to overall improved alignment. Once a reasonable musculoskeletal balance has been achieved exercises may be selected based on how they translate into improved activities of daily life.

Athletes need to see a good translation of their conditioning activities into on field activities. Likewise we all should see a tangible correlation between our conditioning efforts and improved activities of daily life.

So often I see folks doing exercise programs that have little to do with their individual goals and needs.

#4

Train for enjoyment . As long as your exercise is not

undermining your efforts to maintain good

alignment, enjoy your exercise. If you find your workouts

enjoyable you’ll be more inclined to make it a continual

part of your life.

Conclusion

As the musculoskeletal demands on Americans daily life has shifted, we need a corresponding shift in our evaluation of our exercise programing.

It starts with recognizing the need to actively address the postural breakdown that we see wide spread across our nation.

With some simple logic and re-evaluation, most Americans can make some simple adjustment to their exercise program and see significant benefits.

In time more of the fitness industry will be on board with the new needs of our nation.