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Find Your Best Stance How to Quickly Check for Posture Problems By Barb Frye education When working in a standing posture, it's not easy to realize when your body is out of alignment. Certain symptoms of misalignment, however, might catch your attention. For example, you might start to feel soreness in your feet, an ache in your lower back, a headache, or other sensations of stress, strain, discomfort, or pain. This self-observation exercise will guide you through several different standing options, giving you the opportunity to feel how your body responds to each. This lesson will teach you how to start noticing symptoms of misalignment and how to bring yourself back to a more balanced and stress-free posture. The fi rst questions to ask when checking for misalignment are how a position affects your balance and sense of support. As you move through each of the following postures, ask yourself: Do I have a feeling of balance in this position? Do I feel supported by my skeleton? FORWARD BEND Stand in a parallel stance with your feet at equal distances from your center line. Spread your weight over your whole foot and balance your head over your spine. Now bend your upper body forward, forming a convex shape with your spine. This will feel as if you're slouching forward (Image 1). Notice how your weight distribution on your feet changes as you bend into this forward position. Are you able to maintain contact with your whole foot, or is your weight more on the balls or the heels of your feet? Does this position cause any stress in your feet? Are you still able to balance your head over your spine? Notice how the muscles in your upper body respond to this position. Do you sense muscular effort in your neck, shoulders, or upper or lower back? This is a sign of misalignment. Notice how the muscles in your lower body respond to this position. Do you sense muscular effort in your thighs and lower legs? Notice your breathing. A change in your breathing pattern can be a telling sign of misalignment. Can you breathe comfortably in this position? Remaining in the forward-bent position, slowly lift your arms out in front of yourself as if you were going to begin working with a client. Notice how your body responds to lifting your arms in this position. Do you feel symptoms of misalignment in your neck, shoulders, or upper or lower back? What do you feel? BACKWARD BEND Rest for a moment, then stand as you did at the beginning of the exercise. This time, bend your upper body backward, forming a concave shape with your spine (Image 2). BODY AWARENESS 1 2 I t p a y s t o b e A B M P C e r t i f i e d : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 45