Fitness Training Expert aims to provide top quality fitness training advice, exercise information and educational resources for all fitness enthusiasts.  Expert fitness advice SEARCH THIS SITE FACEBOOK BRIDGEFIT ARTICLES   Correct your posture or be forever cross Poor posture when exercising, working and performing daily tasks in  your life can lead to nagging aches and pains, and eventually more  chronic injuries. An upper crossed posture or forward head posture is  one example of bad posture. It can affect our whole movement quality,  sports performance and resilience to cope with every day tasks. I am sat in my office at home writing an article about perfect posture with my feet  up on my chair, elbows resting on my knees, an extremely flexed spine, and  forward head posture. My posture is certainly not what one would define as  anatomically or ergonomically correct at the moment! Now I recognise this fact  and can adjust my posture. In fact I am now sat more upright, ears aligned in the  same plane as my acromion process yet with a posteriorly tilted pelvis and  rounded lumbar spine. Give me ten more minutes sat down and I will probably  change my posture again, perhaps changing from my current posteriorly tilted  pelvis to a more neutral pelvis with a very slight anterior tilt. Is this perfect  posture? Not by definition, however it is by choice that I choose to adopt a variety  of postures whilst seated so that my muscles do not become habitually shortened  and impose unwanted stress on my body. Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands  Unfortunately many people do not recognise the effect that habits have on the  body and leave them uncorrected. One overriding principle of training is that the  body will show specific adaptation to imposed demands. For example if I can only  perform 20 press ups yet my goal is to perform 100, with the correct training  (imposed demand) my body will go through the necessary changes to allow this  goal to be achieved (specific adaptation). Forward head posture Now if I choose to always sit slouched with my shoulders and head forwards for  many hours a day I will eventually end up with my body adapting to this demand.  My Upper Trapezius, Levator Scapulae, Sternocleidomastoid, Pectorals,  Latissimus Dorsi, Scalenes, Anterior Deltoids, Subscapularis, Teres Major, and  Rectus Capitus would remain in this contractive state by habitually shortening. I  would have trained these muscles to be excellent at holding my body in bad  posture. Not only would these muscles be in a shortened state but others would  be lengthened. The list of lengthened and possibly inhibited muscles includes  Deep Cervical Flexors, Serratus Anterior, Rhomboids, Mid-Trapezius, Lower-  Trapezius, Rotator cuff, Lungus coli/capitus, Infraspinatus, Posterior Deltoid, and  Teres Minor. That is a lot going on that needs corrected just as a result of sitting  slouched for 8 hours a day. Upper crossed posture or just cross In fact 8 hours a day is probably being very conservative for estimating the  amount of time training for this posture! This forward head and shoulders posture is commonly referred to as upper crossed. This is because the short muscles  from one line on a cross and the lengthened muscles form the other line. I prefer  to think of this posture in terms of someone being very cross with the constant  headaches, shoulder problems and breathing problems that plague this “habit”. In addition to 8 hours a day seated, there is probably 2 hours driving in the same  position, an hour at home on the computer, an hour a day eating like this, and  maybe 6 hours sleeping with quite a few pillows propping the head up! That is 18  hours training per day! Is it really this bad?  Well, the increased cervical extension, scapula elevation and protraction of the  shoulder girdle can affect many daily movements. Shoulder extension and  external rotation is limited, as is thoracic extension. This affects pushing, pulling  and overhead movements in a negative way. Just try slouching forwards like I  have described (unless you are already there!) and place your arms out straight  in front of you. Now attempt to raise them slowly over head. It is not easy is it! It  is probably uncomfortable for many. It is extremely unlikely that you managed to  get them over head without straightening your thoracic spine. Unfortunately many people with this posture can be seen in the gym, they seem to only train muscles  causing internal rotation of the humerus and this just happens to be those they  can see in the mirror. Can you imagine loading this position with weights in the gym? Or even lifting a  book over head to put on a shelf? One has not created the most stable of  foundations for dynamic activity! Core stability is more than just the 6-pack it  affects the whole body! Ultimately this posture can lead to shoulder injuries some  of which go the surgery route when the reality is that a lifestyle change and an  overhaul of gym training methods with corrective stretching and exercises could  have resolved it before this stage. Shoulder injuries are just one example of a  consequence of poor posture. There are also altered breathing mechanics, just try taking a deep breath in a  position of poor posture...not easy and certainly not as much air going in! How do I recognise it? 1) Your head goes through a door before the rest of your body. 2) You may rename days of the week, choosing “chest day” instead of Monday. You perform an extraordinary volume of work on this day, far more than for any muscles causing external rotation.  You don’t see the point in training for scapula health as you can not see all those tiny muscles; instead you focus on only those that are visible in the mirror. On any chest exercise your head seems to float off the bench. 3) On “back day”, formally known as Wednesday you perform all your pulling movements with your head and shoulders still forwards. You do not effectively recruit the mid and lower trapezius. The weight is always too heavy as you seem to be weaker on this movement, and think that a heavier weight will make you stronger. Actually altered length-tension relationships and reciprocal inhibition are the cause of weakness, not so much the weight itself! 4) On “biceps and triceps” day you again lift weights which are too heavy utilising a bizarre hip jerking manoeuvre, yet again demonstrating an upper crossed posture. You force yourself into this posture even further on pressing movements. 5) Your external auditory miatus and acromion process are anterior to your hip, knee and lateral malleolus when viewed from the side. Can I correct this posture? Through the right application of corrective stretching, strengthening exercises for  weak muscles, re-education of exercise technique and a lifestyle change to  incorporate good posture practice throughout the day this can be improved. Soon I will have some sample training routines created but remember an exercise and  lifestyle routine is only as good as the initial assessment! Related Posture Articles