Learning the alignment of your body

Growing up, most children would be told how to sit, stand, and walk correctly. As children, there is no need for properly cushioned running shoes, no need for ergonomic chairs for back pain, simply because as children we are still adjusting to the world. Maybe it’s because of the environment, the food, the furniture, but even with all the things we are told, we do what we feel comfortable with. We slouch, shuffle, lean on our sides, and sit at the strangest angles.

This in turn has become a habit, affecting our body’s alignment and returning it to what is considered a healthy posture seems unattainable. Executive office chairs might help, but if they’re not designed as office chairs for back pain, they may not have much of an effect.

Now, having the wrong body alignment may not matter much, especially for the young, however, maintaining the wrong posture as we age can have an adverse effect on our health, and we’re not just talking about back pain and fatigue. . A misaligned body can also lead to respiratory problems, digestive problems and/or headaches.

Can we fix it?

The simple answer? Yeah! With a little awareness and effort, your body can be made to relearn proper body alignment. Even if you don’t have access to a yoga or Pilates instructor, or even a Pilates exercise chair, there are ways to get your posture into a healthy posture.

Before we talk about the exercises and techniques, let’s learn how to assess the alignment our body is currently in. That way, we would know what to work on.

How to check our own posture

This is where your “mirror selfie” skills will come into play. Don’t worry, we don’t ask you to post it on social media (unless you want to).

First, in the comfort of your home, wear something that can show off your shape, something that shows the symmetry of your posture. Once you’ve covered that, with a crayon, mark a full-length mirror with a vertical line right down the middle and a horizontal line at shoulder height. Yes, after the evaluation, you can erase those lines from your mirror.

Now, you can take multiple mirror selfies. In the first (in front of the mirror), the intersection of the cross should be aligned with the point where the clavicles converge. The second image (side), the intersection should be in your armpit. You don’t need to fix your posture at this point just to get “good” posture, remember, this is just an assessment.

Guidelines for proper posture

Now that you’ve taken your pictures, you can check how you’re doing.

For the front view, the vertical guide should cross your body symmetrically, from head to toe. Shoulders should be level according to the horizontal guide. Large deviations from these are misalignments that must be corrected.

For the side view image, the correct alignment should be: the vertical line should cross the ear, the front armpit and the rest of the torso, the lower part of the legs should be behind the line, as the upper half of the body It should be in line with the feet. for balance

Deviations from proper alignment

If the vertical line is closer to the rear than the rest of the body, it means that your hips are pressed forward. A lower crossed syndrome is when the back has an excessive curve, pushing the pelvis and stomach forward. Rounded shoulders are characterized by shoulders hunched forward and the vertical line aligned with the back of the armpit rather than the front. A forward head carriage will be indicated by the ear moved away from the vertical line and the neck hyperextended.

An upper crossed syndrome is a combination of rounded shoulders and forward head carriage. A head tilt will show you where your head is “tilted” to the side. Uneven shoulders will show up more clearly compared to the horizontal line in the mirror.

If you saw any of the deviations, stretching and strengthening exercises can help you correct them. And to help you correct your body alignment, a proper ergonomic chair will come in handy.