Learn the science & biomechanics behind common postural problems
Today we’ll cover the infamous anterior pelvic tilt. I see a lot of questions about anterior pelvic tilt (APT) as it’s a pretty big buzz word used by physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and personal trainers (pretty much anyone in the health and movement industry). What this post will cover: We’ll Define Anterior Pelvic TiltWhat Muscles Work During APT & PPT (Biomechanics)Why APT MattersIf The APT Is Really That BadHow…
I wanted to share my experience with posture and what I have found to work best for myself, my therapy patients, and fitness clients. I’ve worked in the fitness and rehab industry for six years and have been obsessed with the concept of posture since I started exercising 10 years ago. I’ve performed every scapular retraction, chin tuck, TA pull in you can think of, but nothing ever really “stuck”…
The evidence is very shaky on whether stretching works as we originally thought. It is relatively clear that while it can help alleviate pain & improve flexibility in the short-term, long-term effects are inconsistent. Static stretching also does not appear to meaningfully improve posture and it also hampers performance when taken too far. Dynamic stretching can have a place in a dynamic warm-up.
Knocked knees are a result of the body trying to find joint actions it is naturally missing in order to complete the gait cycle, or allow for full human movement. This comes at a cost of stressing tissues and joints around the pelvis and knee. To fix it, we should start with the root of the problem – the pelvis in Anteiror Tilt.
Winged scapula are often a result of the shoulder blade not being able to glide freely on the ribcage due to compression within it (poor breathing mechanics). This causes the scapula to deviate outward in an attempt to find more movement.
In order to stand with good posture, we are looking for a “stacked” ribcage over pelvis.
This allows the diaphragm and pelvic floor to be aligned with one another for optimal function.
There are frequent situations when a protruding abdomen can cause an excess of air, gas, and pressure within the abdomen, resulting in a visual presentation of a stomach that sticks out, but isn’t necessarily ” belly fat”.
High arches prevent the arch from dropping and lowering into the ground in walking/running. This causes a lack of “yielding” into the ground which can result in many compensations. In order to address this, we should re-teach the missing link: Pronation and also likely internal rotation.
