Postural Muscle Balance
FLEXIBILITY GUIDELINES
Warm up first and hold each stretch for at least 15 seconds and progress to 30 seconds.
Repeat 3 times or more, up to a maximum of 10.
Use your breath to gauge the intensity— appropriate intensity will release as you breathe into the area which is tight.
STRENGTH GUIDELINES
Directed to muscles which have a tendency to lengthen and weaken. Postural stabilizers require endurance strengthening with either multiple repetitions or prolonged holds.
Perform multiple repetitions of 15-45, slowly with light resistance, and within your pain-free range of motion, or...
Hold for a prolonged period of time to strengthen the muscles that stabilize postural alignment.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Use your breath to contract and relax in each yoga pose; When you inhale, draw in with ‘muscular energy’. This action will provide strengthening. Exhale and release, which will result in a softening.
Be mindful of alignment and movement patterns.
Adjust your program to compliment your training goals. For instance in early rehabilitation, range of motion exercises are performed 5 times daily whereas strengthening are performed twice daily for optimal benefit.
Consult with your physical therapist or qualified professional for an evaluation of postural alignment, muscular strength and flexibility. An individualized program of corrective exercises can be prescribed from the results.”
Adapted from Therapeutic Yoga 2004.
Postural Muscle Balance
Ideal postural alignment requires a balance between muscular strength and flexibility. As a result of faulty posture, pain, injury, stress, or overuse, certain muscles have a predisposition to shortening and tightening, and the opposite group have a tendency for lengthening and weakening.
Exercise can help correct muscular imbalances by targeting flexibility for muscles that are tight and shortened, and strengthening for muscles that are weak and lengthened. As these muscle groups become more balanced, your posture will become more aligned.
Anatomical Illustration by Karen Church.
Adapted from Grants Atlas of Anatomy.
