Applying Body Alignment Techniques to Improve Standing Posture
An elegant poise makes one feel good and confident. An effective standing posture is a work of strong muscles. Exercises help in enhancing strength, but people fail to be mindful of their posture when not training. Here, I will explain how we can improve a standing posture by working on our body alignment.
Standing is an essential position on which other motor actions develop. It is a starting position for various other activities like walking, squatting. We achieve this milestone at around 10 to 15 months, and it requires a coordinated effort from the muscular, skeletal, and vestibular systems in our body.
We spend most of our time standing. Activities could be as simple as waiting for the elevator or while making a cup of coffee to more complex ones like balancing ourselves on a moving bus/train. Many professions require prolonged standing. A poor standing posture may cause low back pain and various musculoskeletal conditions involving the lower extremities. As extended sitting is harmful to one’s health, healthcare providers suggest taking frequent breaks from the seating position. Nowadays, flexible standing desks are substituting conventional desks at various workplaces. But are we standing correctly?
Let’s see the ideal standing posture.
Ideal standing posture
A perfect standing position loads the body-weight correctly on the lower extremities with minimal energy expenditure by our muscles. It helps in reducing the load on joint surfaces.
We begin pretty well as kids. But with age, we develop compensatory patterns for maintaining an upright posture, which we fail to notice. With repetition, the bad habits kick in, and we drift in a poor posture — this results in muscle imbalances and incorrect alignment. Standard postural deviations in standing include toes pointing outwards, shifting more weight on one limb, pelvis tucked in, and rounded shoulders.
How can we rectify the wrong pattern?
Postural retraining, core strengthening, and balance exercises are used to address the wrong posture. The universal advice — straighten up, shoulders back, tighten the tummy, etc. helps us in sustaining an upright posture. But does integrating these positions recruit the right muscles? That’s when body alignment comes into the picture.
What is body alignment?
Apart from being mindful of our attitude during day-to-day activities, we need to understand body alignment. Body alignment is how we position the head, ribs, spine, hips, knees, and feet at rest or in movement. By correctly aligning the bones and joints, our muscles can generate productive forces that would help in reducing the excessive load on the joint surfaces and the muscles. To rectify the old alignment patterns, let’s begin here:
1. Stand with wide feet
The feet should be hip-width apart. A broad and stable base provides support and allows for a better distribution of the body-weight on to the feet.
2. Feet should NOT turn out
Many of us stand with their feet, pointing outwards. Avoid standing or walking with feet rotated out as it alters the load on the proximal joints and muscles.
The image below shows the ideal foot placement. Feet should point straight ahead, and the outer bones on each foot (called the malleoli) should be in line with the fifth toe. Initially, we can confirm this foot position by aligning the outer border of the feet with the edge of a tile or a mat. Standing with toes pointed straight engages the core muscles more effectively, which helps in a better posture control.
3. Stand with a neutral pelvis and place even weight on both feet
Any tilt (forward/backward) would influence the length of the neighbouring musculature, thus varying the forces on the weight-bearing structures. There is also a tendency to load more weight on one leg. Be mindful of these patterns and avoid them.
4. Move the pelvis back so that the hips, knees, and ankle are in a straight line
Unknowingly we stand with the weight falling over the fore-feet, which affects our weight-bearing in standing. This alignment can be corrected by piling the hips over the knees and feet, which would activate the core and hip extensors muscles more effectively.
Shift the pelvis behind while standing, so that the loading happens over the heels, and hip-knee-ankle come in a straight line.
5. Align the rib cage with the pelvis
Do not flare or thrust the ribs to hold a straight posture. Doing this causes the rib cage to shift forwards about the pelvis. It also puts tension in the spinal joints and the abdominal muscles.
Just lower the ribs and make sure the ribs are in line with the pelvic bones anteriorly (means front).
6. Hold head and neck upright with arms by the sides and shoulders rolled back and down
Stretch the head and neck in the upward direction. Now position both the shoulders behind and down and maintain both ears at the same level.
Alignment recap
Head and neck: stretched up.
Ears: levelled.
Shoulder blades: behind & down.
Ribcage: dropped and in line with the pelvic bones in front.
Pelvis: neutral position.
Hips-knees-ankle: stacked above each other.
Feet: pointing ahead and hip-width apart.
Tips to remember
Practice aligning your body during the daily activities — while brushing teeth, washing vessels, cooking, or waiting. All it needs is a conscious effort. In the beginning, you might feel awkward while achieving these adjustments. However, from my experience, hang in there. With time, as the muscles and joints learn to realign these movements would feel natural. Initially, do not force yourself in perfecting the stance; pay attention to the alignment patterns. Slowly, one can notice the difference and bring about progress. Happy aligning till then!
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