Improve Posture for Sports Performance - Part 1

As I mentioned earlier there a multitude of issues that affect posture. Identifying these issues is the key to planning out how to develop a certain part of the body to improve it. So lets start by taking a look at some of the problems with posture:

FLAT FEET - Flat feet is essentially a problem caused through a lowering of the arch found on the bottom of the foot. As the foot flattens against the ground the persons knees roll and bend inwards slightly which in turn causes the hips to do the same. This can cause a curvature in the back which is commonly referred to as being 'hunched over'. It is a actually a very common problem and is the result of a weakness in the core and leg muscles. People think that it is because their bone structure is flat and they cannot improve it but the solution is actually simpler than you might think. People will buy footbeds to place in their shoes to help them out with this problem but we'll discuss this solution a little later.

HOLLOW BACK - This is actually an informal term for Lordosis. The abdomen and the hamstrings are stretched out and the pelvis tilts backwards slightly. This causes a deeper curve of your spine at the lower area of your back. Try to imagine you were pulling your butt up to the back of your head. This weakens your abdomen and results in lower back pain. Most of the time people aren't even aware that it is happening when they stand up and have no idea why their back hurts as it does.

HUNCHED SHOULDERS - This is a problem that will be immediately visible to the naked eye. Take a look around at people stood up and notice if their shoulders are hunched forward or if they are held back. People that have their shoulders hunched will often appear to have a belly that sticks out a little bit and and their head will be positioned slightly forward of their chest. You may even find that their shoulder blades stick out behind them slightly. The people that have their shoulders held back will most likely look taller and stand 'proud' in their appearance. Well trained athletes in many sports will have a 'proud' stance. Like hollow back this is an imbalance of muscles from the front and the back.

Having bad posture means that we are not in an optimal position for movement. It can then put pressure and extra strain on joints and muscles that have to compensate for others being in a weakened place. Over time time movement in poor posture causes wear and tear on the muscles it is effecting and so we end up with pain and disease.

Imagine now trying to partake in your favourite sport. If you start off with a poor body position then it is going to be very difficult to manoeuvre yourself into a position that allows you to perform well. For example I coach snowboarding and 'stance and balance' is one of the key areas we focus on. I often see a rider being hunched over as they stand on their board or their knees bend inwards. We spend a lot of time going through drills and training exercises to demonstrate that their back should be upright and their knees should be wide. These riders often struggle with this idea because they have a weakness in their athletic posture before they even put the board on, this then means they have to work twice as hard to get into a good stance to perform the basic movements.

Source: http://www.squidoo.com/podiatry-footbeds-and-sport

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