Realigning Posture Through Pilates

Transcription

1 Realigning Posture Through Pilates Hee Soo Cho CTTC May 2017 Seoul, South Korea

2 ABSTRACT Nowadays, we live in a world where we can order food, buy a house, book car services and even meet our future spouse in one finger click- all while being in an idle state. These improvements being brought upon us, only enable and encourage us to maintain our already sedentary lifestyle. We have all grown accustomed to occupying ourselves with our smartphones, sitting in front of our computers, or driving to get to places. As we age, it is hard to avoid the fact that everything is being built for our convenience, and that our lifestyle is getting easier. Although we may end up saving our time and energy, we are exacerbating our already weak bodies in many ways. The most common modern illness is the pain felt in the lower back, round-shoulder syndrome and neck tensions. Up to 80% of adult individuals will be incapacitated by back pain at some point in their life (Isacowitz, Study Guide 51). The way we move influences how our bodies are shaped-for good and ill. There are many benefits of Pilates; such as developing strength, flexibility, coordination, speed, agility and endurance. In my opinion, mobility is the most important component in our daily lifestyle and in fitness. The definition of mobility is the ability to move or be moved freely and easily (Oxford Dictionary.com). Mobility is a crucial factor in balancing both flexibility and strength. Mobility comprises of flexion, extension and rotation- movements common when playing sports and in our daily life. Thus, good mobility promotes full range of motion which leads to better performance in sports and efficient everyday movement. The focus of the paper is how our human body adapts to anomaly habitual movement pattern in the midst of a sedentary lifestyle and how it affects our body. Pilates can help one become aware on how to realign the body. One can eliminate chronic back pain and be free from taking unnecessary drugs and getting surgeries, prevent re-injury, and ultimately improve active and wellbeing lifestyle. 2 page

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Content Page Title Page....1 Abstract...2 Table of Contents Anatomy Movement Principles..7 Case Study...8 Conditioning Program.9 Conclusion..11 Bibliography page

4 ANATOMY ROUNDED SHOULDER & TURTLE NECK In modern people, the human body is different from our hunter-gatherer ancestors who used to hunt for food and shelter to survive in the wild. In our modern culture of convenience, humans mostly spend time in forward flexion which leads to having rounded shoulders and having the head close forward. The Serratus Anterior muscle starts from the medial border of the scapula and to the 1 st to 8 th rib at the side of the chest. What happens here is that Serratus Anterior and Pectoral Muscles gets tight and starts pulling the shoulders forward into a round shoulder. Then, on the other side, the rhomboid and mid/lower trapezius stretch out, which also effects the rounding. It is best illustrated as a tug-of-war game between the front muscles and the back muscles of the body. <Tight muscles: Pulling> Left Image: Kenhub. Serratus Anterior Muscle. YouTube, 03 Dec. 2014, Right Image: Kenhub. Pectoral Muscles. YouTube, 28 Dec. 2014, <Weak Muscles: Stretching> 4 page

5 Left Image: Koh, Yousun. Rhomboid Muscles. Kenhub, Right Image: Kenhub. Trapezius Muscle. YouTube, 23 Nov. 2014, Left Image: Yambami. Turtle Neck Syndrome. Tistory Blog, 05 Aug. 2014, Right Image: Rounded Shoulders. Crank, 27 June 2014, People think that they need to straighten the rhomboids. This is a common misconception on how one would assume to correct the rounded shoulder issue. If the Serratus Anterior is pulling the front, you need to stretch out the SA, and the rhomboid will figure itself out as you move. It is important to use a foam 5 page

6 roller and massage or stretch laterally. Contracting rhomboids might lead to another bad posture such as lordosis which leads to lower back pain. KYPHOSIS &LORDOSIS Kyphosis is an excessive forward curvature of the thoracic spine, commonly known as a hunchback. As wind bends tree over time, so does gravity to the posture of the unconcerned men. Kyphosis can occur at any age, but it s most common in older women. Age-related kyphosis often occurs after osteoporosis weakens spinal bones to the point that they crack and compress. Other types of kyphosis are seen in infants or teens due to malformation of the spine or wedging of the spinal bones over time (Mayo Clinic Staff). Image: Freutel, Natasha. Kyphosis Exercies to Treat Your Rounded Upper Baack. Healthline, Laflamme, Mark, 12 Nov. 2015, Lordosis is an excessive inward lumbar curve which also occurs anterior pelvic tilt. In this case, hip flexors and lower back extensors are tight. On the contrary abdominals and gluteus maximus are weak. Kyphosis and lordosis increase risk of lower back injury. The best way to prevent oneself from a lower back injury, is to find the neutral pelvic position. It takes time to achieve neutral pelvic tilt, but it is very important to maintain in neutral doing exercise or in daily movement to overcome the chronic lower back pain and be in a better state. 6 page

7 Image: Lordosis of the Spine: Exaggerated Lumbar Curve Reasons. Temed, 10 MOVEMENT PRINCIPLES There are 10 movement principles in BASI Pilates. 1. Awareness 2. Balance 3. Breath 4. Concentration 5. Center 6. Control 7. Efficiency 8. Flow 9. Precision 10. Harmony These are the foundation of the mind body system and these are the principles that are integrated into every exercise at all times in practice to understand, master and well-being. Many other Pilates organizations principles are slightly different but mostly similar. Pilates is about connecting mind and body and there are 10 movement principles. 1. AWARENESS The first principle is awareness. Awareness means to be present in the movement with ones mind and body. Because of the sedentary lifestyle, we are accustomed to poor posture and we tend to lose some senses on how to realign the body. This is also why many people cannot exercise well without a mirror. Also, many people are unaware of their body and cannot control how to move certain muscles. For example, people who do not exercise at all and spend most of their time in a sitting position have a hard time squeezing their glutes or latissimus dorsi and have a weak ankle. It is incredible how many people cannot control their body. Pilates emphasizes awareness first to connect our mind to 7 page

8 control our body to realign into neutral position to find balance. 2. BALANCE Usually muscle imbalances affect body alignment. At times, certain muscles get weak from injury and one tends to concentrate on one exercise that they are good at. This is how the weak muscles get weaker and strong muscles tend to get stronger and this leads to a muscle imbalance. Also, Pilates pursue balance between flexibility and strength. Just because a person who is flexible can split their legs doesn t mean that they can perform more complex movement with balance and strength. Everyone has their own imbalance of the body and through Pilates one can observe our own body and identify personal needs and find a balance of body and mind. 3. BREATH Breathing is extremely important and powerful. Pilates breathing is little different from normal or other breathing. It is called lateral breathing which focuses on lateral expansion of the rib cage like an accordion and when you exhale, visualize wearing a corset and decrease the volume of the rib cage and engage the core to maintain pertinent abdominal contraction. Lateral breathing helps the core to stabilize, mobilize the spine, and release tensions of the upper body. CASE STUDY INJURY & LIMITATION In 2010, I had a car accident and injured the lumbar spine minorly. I went through 6 months of rehabilitation but after I was healed, I suffered from lower back pain for several years. I constantly went to hospitals for quick fixes and prescriptions for painkillers. But the pain came back every time, and the root of the problem was never dealt with. I worked in a company where I had a desk job, and that definitely did not help the situation. I ended up with a chronic 8 page

9 back pain, neck and shoulder problems, and wrist pains as well. I enjoy an active lifestyle, and my hobbies of physical activities can be categorized as extreme sports. I was in the varsity volleyball team in high school, and leaped onto many other sports thereafter. Currently, depending on the season I snowboard frequently, skateboard, surf and indulge myself in many other sports. Because of my active life, I have had one too many incidences of having torn my left ankle ligaments, spraining my left ankle, my left knee and my left thumb. I was also diagnosed with De Quervain syndrome (De Quervain s tenosynovitis) or also known as mother s wrist. It is a tenosynovitis of the sheath or tunnel that surrounds two tendons that control movement of the thumb (Wikipedia). The syndrome was gradual and I had difficulty gripping things. It went from having a numb thumb, numbing in the wrist, and eventually in my forearm. It was in 2011 when I started Pilates. Since then, I no longer have chronic back pains and I haven t sprained my ankles. It took me years of practice, but I became more aware of my body movement. Pilates made me understand the movement of the body and now I have a deeper understanding of how my body works and it s fascinating. INJURY & LIMITATION Injury: left ankle, knee, wrist right suprasupinatus tendonitis Limitation: anterior tilt - tight hip flexor Weak ankle mobility GOAL & TREATMENT Goal: strengthen within flexibility & neutral alignment Treatment: Ankle mobility Stretch hip flexor & quads Strengthen core, Hamstrings, Glutes,& erector Spinae muscle 9 page

10 CONDITIONING PROGRAM This is where the BASI Block System comes in. The BASI Block System is a guideline for a whole body workout and be creative according to level, personal needs, restrictions, and goals. I have designed a program for myself to increase strength, flexibility and enhance my sports performance through neutral alignment. BASI System Equipment Exercise Intention Fundamental: Pelvic Curl, Beneficial for Warm Up Cadillac Spine Twist Supine warming up or Mat Chest Lift the lower back Chest Lift and hip flexors with Rotation Foot Work Cadillac Foot work on Cadillac provides the most Foot Work Series challenge to my body. MY weak ankles and my hip flexor flexibility Ab Work Cadillac Teaser 1 Lower abs Hip Work Spinal Articulation Stretches Reformer Reformer Ladder Barrel Frog Circles Opening Bottom Lift Bottom Lift with extension Hamstrings Hip flexors Gluteals Adductors Lower back Range of motion of the hip Stretching & Strengthening adductors For my tight hip flexors and strengthening hamstrings. Engaging back muscle Flexibility & mobility Stretch out Full Body quads. Cadillac Thigh Stretch Integration (F/I) For my ant. tilt pelvis Arm Work Reformer Arms Kneeling Engaging core 10 page

11 Series Leg Work Wunda Chair Leg press standing Lateral Flexion / Rotation Back Extension Wunda Chair Wunda Chair Side Stretch Swan Basic Back Ext. Single Arm muscles, lengthening hip flexors and the quad Work on balance and hip extensor strength Flexibility & mobility Balance & control ACHIEVEMENT I practice Pilates on a regular basis and I have learned to incorporate my imbalance and learned which parts needed strengthening, and where to stretch. I am more aware of the correct mechanics of the body which reduced from reinjury during activities. I constantly work on strengthening within flexibility. I also gained confidence to continue to enjoy my extreme active lifestyle in a safe way despite my age. When indulging in my hobbies such as snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, I notice improvements in my performance, as well as my overall well-being. CONCLUSION A healthy lifestyle not only changes your body, it changes your mind, your attitude and your mood. Keeping in mind the 10 movement principles and how to implement Pilates exercise into a daily routine is one of the best thing you can do to your body. Alleviate pain and increase muscular endurance within flexibility and integrate them to perform efficiently on any other daily activities and movement habits. If you want your health to change, be conscientious of your body and change the way you move and find the balance of mind and body. 11 page

12 BIBLIOGRAPHY Isacowitz, Rael. Pilates. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics, 2014 Isacowitz, Rael. Study Guide, Comprehensive Course. Coasta Besa, CA: Body Arts and Science International, Mayo Clinic Staff. Kyphosis. Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER), 06 June 2014, De Quervain syndrome Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 May 2017, 12 page