Republic of the Philippines

University of Eastern Philippines

University town, Northern Samar

PE 832
Class ID: 0450071
Basic Procedures in Corrective Physical Education
Second Semester, SY 2017-2018
EDGAR B. LOBOS JR. 7:00-10:00 am SAT DR. PAULINA S. BENZON
Presenter Course Professor
Topic:

Common Posture Faults

Physiotherapist Nick Sinfield describes eight common posture
mistakes, and how to correct them with strength and stretching STANDING WITH A FLAT BACK
exercises.
If you have back pain, improving your posture is unlikely to
address the root cause of your pain, but it may help alleviate
muscle tension.
"Correcting your posture may feel awkward at first because
your body has become so used to sitting and standing in a
particular way," says Sinfield.
"But with a bit of practise, good posture will become second
nature and be one step to helping your back in the long term." A flat back means your pelvis is tucked in and your lower back
is straight instead of naturally curved, causing you to stoop
SLOUCHING IN A CHAIR forward.
People with a flat back often find it difficult standing for long
periods.
Exercises to strengthen your core, buttocks, neck and rear
shoulder muscles, and back extensions, are recommended to
help correct a flat back.
Exercises to correct a flat back:
 Plank
 Side-lying leg raises
Slouching doesn't always cause discomfort, but over time this
 Chest stretches
position can place strain on already sensitised muscles and
soft tissues. This strain may increase tension in the muscles,  Seated rows in a gym or pull-ups
which may in turn cause pain.  Back extensions
Exercises to correct a slumping posture:
 Bridges LEANING ON ONE LEG
 Back extensions
 Plank
STICKING YOUR BOTTOM OUT

Leaning more on one leg while standing can feel comfortable,

especially if you've been standing for a while.
But instead of using your buttocks and core muscles to keep
you upright, you place excessive pressure on one side of your
If your bottom tends to stick out or you have a pronounced lower back and hip.
curve in your lower back, you may have hyperlordosis. This is Exercises to strengthen your buttocks and core muscles will
an exaggerated inward curve of the lower back that creates a help correct uneven hips:
"Donald Duck" posture.
 Plank
Exercises to correct a "Donald Duck" posture:
 Side-lying leg raises
 Plank
 Bridges
 Side-lying leg raises
 Hip flexor stretches HUNCHED BACK AND 'TEXT NECK'
 Standing thigh stretch
To help correct your standing posture, imagine a string
attached to the top of your head pulling you upwards.
The idea is to keep your body in perfect alignment, maintaining
the spine's natural curvature, with your neck straight and
shoulders parallel with the hips.
Hunching over your keyboard is usually a sign that you have a
tight chest and a weak upper back.
Upper back, neck and rear shoulder strengthening exercises,
chest stretches and neck posture drills are recommended to
help correct a hunched back.
Exercises to correct a hunched back:
 Gently lengthen your neck upwards as you tuck in
your chin
 Seated rows in a gym or pull-ups
 Chest stretches
POKING YOUR CHIN
The poking chin posture can be caused by sitting too low, a
screen set too high, a hunched back, or a combination of all
three.
Correcting a poking chin involves improving your sitting habits
and exercises to correct your posture.
How to correct a poking chin:
 Gently lengthen your neck upwards as you tuck in
your chin
 Bring your shoulder blades down and back towards
your spine
 Pull in your lower tummy muscles to maintain a
natural curve in your lower back
 Adjust your seating
ROUNDED SHOULDERS
One way to tell if you've got rounded shoulders is to stand in
front of a mirror and let your arms hang naturally by your sides.
If your knuckles face forward, it may indicate that you have a
tight chest and a weak upper back, giving the appearance of
rounded shoulders.
Exercises to strengthen your core, upper back and chest
muscles will help correct rounded shoulders:
 Plank
 Bridges
 Seated rows in a gym or pull-ups
 Chest stretches
CRADLING YOUR PHONE
Holding your phone handset between your ear and shoulder
places strain on the muscles of the neck, upper back and
shoulders.
the phone with your hand, or use a hands-free device.
Exercises for neck stiffness and pain:
 Chest stretches
 Neck stretches
 Neck rotations
5 Most Common Posture Problems
(and how to fix them)
Posture Problem #1: Over-Pronated Feet
Identification – As shown in the photo above, put both hands 1
inch away from each side of your foot. Straighten your ankle so
that the space between each hand and your ankle is
equidistant. Now naturally let your ankle and feet rest. If your
foot and ankle caved inward, you have over-pronated feet.
Causes – Obesity, pregnancy, improper footwear, or repetitive
pounding on a hard surface can weaken the arch leading to
over-pronation and oftentimes flat feet.
Solution – If the arch has already fallen, orthotics are the best
bet. If the arch is in the process of falling, or is weak, barefoot
running/walking may help strengthen the arches, but be sure to
check with your doctor (orthotics may be the best bet in this
case as well).
Posture Problem #2: Forward Hip Tilt
Identification – Identifying a forward tilt can be tricky, but one
method is to purposely tilt your pelvis forward as far as you
can, then backward as far as you can. You may realize your
natural hip tilt is not far away from the exaggerated forward tilt.
Cause – Sitting too much and not stretching, which shortens
the hip flexors
Solution – Stretch your hip flexors with static lunges, such as
the Crescent Lunge (See: Yoga For Back Pain), activate your
glutes with exercises like glute bridges, and foam roll and
stretch your hamstrings.
Posture Problem #3: Hunchback
 Second, get a massage, or use a massage ball against your
upper back, which can be very helpful to help relieve tension
around your neck.

Common Postural Problems:

Identification – Have someone take a photo of you standing Kyphosis, Lordosis and Scoliosis
sideways. If you notice that your upper back is excessively
curved (greater than 40-45 degrees) as in the photo to the
right, you have hunchback posture.
Kyphosis
Cause – Sitting with bad posture, especially at an office doing
computer work

Solution – Relieve chest tightness with self myofascial release

(use a massage ball) and stretching, while strengthening the
upper back postural muscles. My favorite exercise for
hunchback posture is upper back foam rolling.

Posture Problem #4: Rounded Shoulders

is an abnormally excessive convex kyphotic curvature of the

spine as it occurs in the cervical, thoracic and sacral regions.
(Abnormal inward concave lordotic curving of the cervical and
lumbar regions of the spine is called lordosis.) Kyphosis can be
called roundback or Kelso's hunchback. It can result from
degenerative diseases such as arthritis; developmental
problems, most commonly Scheuermann's disease;
osteoporosis with compression fractures of the vertebra;
multiple myeloma or trauma.
Identification – The “Pencil Test” involves holding a pencil (or
pen) in each hand. As shown in the photo above, if the pencils
are pointing straight forward with your arms comfortably at your
Lordosis
sides, that indicates correct posture.

Cause – Sitting with bad posture, especially in an office while

typing, or using an imbalanced exercise routine with excessive
chest pressing.

Solution – The solution is very similar to correcting hunchback

posture – relieve chest tightness with self myofascial release
(use a massage ball) and stretching, while strengthening the
upper back postural muscles.
Lordosis refers to the normal inward lordotic curvature of the
lumbar and cervical regions of the human spine. The normal
Posture Problem #5: Forward Head
outward (convex) curvature in the thoracic and sacral regions
is termed kyphosis or kyphotic. The term comes from the
Greek lordōsis, from lordos ("bent backward")

Scoliosis

Identification – Have someone take a photo of you standing

sideways. As shown in the photo to your right, find the AC joint
(bony protrusion on the side of your shoulder) and check if
your ear lobe is on top of the AC joint. If your ear lobe extends
in front of your AC joint, you have a forward head posture.
is a medical condition in which a person's spine has a
Cause – Sitting in an office chair hunched over while staring at sideways curve. The curve is usually "S"- or "C"-shaped. In
a computer some the degree of curve is stable, while in others it increases
over time. Mild scoliosis does not typically cause problems,
Solution – First, practice proper head posture by sliding your while severe cases can interfere with breathing. There is
head backward while keeping your line of sight ahead. Be sure typically no pain present.
not to tilt your head upwards as you slide your head back.