Posture and Pain

My friend recently shared this image on her social media page.  I got a good laugh at humanity and how we need to remember that we are all really alike.  But then I looked again and I couldn't un-see what I had seen.

Can you see it too?  Can you see the terrible posture that is plaguing all these people! Can you feel their pain?  Back pain and achy knees for sure!

 If you've been to my fitness classes more than once you have heard me go on and on and and on and on about posture and how muscle imbalance is making your body hurt.

Toes turned out means the quadriceps (upper thighs) are overly engaged usually trying to compensate for the inactivity of the glute muscles.  Look at those hands too. If you can see all 4 knuckles that means their shoulders are rolled forward.  Could be because the pectoral muscles (chest) are overtight (think gym rat, man boobs, bench pressing 300 lbs but not able to do a single pull up).  I'd guess the upper back muscles aren't active and these guys spend hours hunched forward looking at a computer screen.

Modern humans spend so much time doing tasks in front of them, working on the computer, reading a book, cooking, operating machinery,  and then working out at the gym to make the front of us look great in the mirror, that we neglect the other half of our bodies, the half that supports all the work we do in front of us.  Many of us don't even know how to use our backs to support simple moves like biceps curls, or how to use our hips, glutes and hamstrings to balance and support the quadriceps during a squat.

Want to learn more about muscle balance and movement? Come to my Yoga, Pilates and Posture class in American Fork and I'll get you moving toward muscle balance!  Can't come hang out with me?  Here are a couple  books that are AWESOME!!!  Foundation: Redefine your Core and Conquer back pain, and Move with Confidence  by Eric Goodman is a great one.  Pain Free by Pete Egoscue, comes recommended by many professionals including my much loved professors in the Exercise Science Department at BYU.