| I have performed many postural exams in my years | | | | causing severe degeneration and even hip |
| of practice. While reviewing the results with patients I | | | | replacement. All of which could have been eliminated |
| have heard a lot of questions and statements. "Well | | | | by correcting the alignment. |
| isn't everyone's posture off?", "I have always been | | | | There are common running postural misalignments. |
| that way.", "Well nobody's perfect". | | | | The first of which is abnormal forward head posture. |
| All of these justifications are not going to improve | | | | Check yourself for this by standing up against a wall, |
| your posture or your running. What they may do, | | | | with your feet all the way against the baseboard. Is |
| which I've seen in my office, is put an early end to | | | | your head hitting the wall? Do you have to contract |
| your running career. | | | | neck muscles to pull your head back? These are all |
| There is an ideal postural alignment for optimal health | | | | indications of abnormal forward head posture. The |
| and function. Using these guidelines you can check | | | | effects of this posture include muscle fatigue, pain |
| yourself at home with a partner. Here are a couple | | | | across the shoulders, pain in the neck and arthritis in |
| of landmarks to see if you have proper postural | | | | the neck. |
| alignment. Start by taking a couple of steps in place, | | | | Another common running postural misalignment is |
| with eyes closed and then stop with your feet | | | | forward leaning of the trunk. This abnormal position |
| shoulder width apart. When looking from the front, | | | | reduces the length of your stride and makes it |
| your pelvis should be directly over your feet, the top | | | | harder to breathe. This position reduces the ability of |
| of your pelvis should be the same height on both | | | | the chest and the diaphragm to function properly. |
| sides and your shoulders should be level. Ideal side | | | | When these muscles are not functioning properly, |
| posture consists of a plumb line through the ankle, | | | | there is a reduction in oxygen getting in the body. |
| hip, shoulder and middle of the ear, all lining up from | | | | Upright aligned posture allows deeper breaths and |
| the bottom to the top. | | | | more oxygen to get in the lungs, less cramping and |
| Posture and alignment are important for many | | | | longer strides to cover more distance. |
| reasons. When your posture is in alignment your | | | | To help with these postural problems you have |
| muscles are in the proper position to shorten and | | | | several options. The first thing is to improve your |
| lengthen, moving the joints in the body. The body is | | | | posture while running. You can do this by pretending |
| working more efficiently. The muscles are not | | | | that your head is being pulled up by a string. This will |
| expending more energy then they should, constantly | | | | remind you to get into the upright running posture. |
| maintaining an abnormal posture. This means you are | | | | The problem you may have is that you muscles and |
| able to run faster, farther and have fewer injuries. | | | | ligaments have memory. Which means that they like |
| The proper alignment also keeps the joints from | | | | go back to the abnormal position they were in. So |
| wearing and tearing abnormally. Just like when your | | | | you may need more than just a reminder to run |
| car is out of alignment, your tires wear out quicker | | | | erect. You may need specific exercises and/or |
| than they should. This is the same thing that happens | | | | stabilization supports to help you correct and maintain |
| with your body. The two most common areas of | | | | normal posture. A thorough evaluation and exam, |
| wear and tear that runners in my office present with | | | | from a postural specialist, can locate postural |
| are the hip and the knee. I have seen the effects of | | | | problems and outline a plan to correct them. |
| abnormal alignment, after many years of running, | | | | |