Postural Assessment

POSTURAL ASSESSMENT
&
FAULTY POSTURES
Pilates Matwork Teacher Training Course Josie McKenlay

POSTURAL ASSESSMENT
There’s no doubt that Pilates will improve posture and improved posture leads to better health in
general. Posture suffers through sedentary lifestyles and/or repeated actions. Over time, muscle
imbalances develop which lead to faulty postures and health risks or injuries will occur. Most people’s
posture will improve simply by attending a Pilates group session on a regular basis, but if you are going
to teach one to one private sessions, you need to be able to read a client’s posture type and create a
programme of exercises that will address their particular postural issues, especially if they are
complaining of aches and pains. For example, someone may come to you with backache and you notice
that they have very tight hamstrings: by simply lengthening these muscles, their backache may well
disappear.
Start to pay attention to the way people sit, stand and move around. Try to identify what posture type
they have. This is good practice for when you start to assess clients. When you first start out, take
photographs from all four sides and take a medical and health history. It will give you time to take a
really good look so that you can make the correct assessment and choose the best exercises to help
them. We’re going to take a look at the most common faulty postures, the causes and the Pilates
exercises that will bring better balance to the client. Always try to work with a client’s back care
specialist.
Swayback
This is probably the most common posture (left) you will notice.
Swayback Ideal

The characteristics to look out for are: -
 Pelvis pushed forwards in front of centre of gravity, so from side view, the hips are in front of
the shoulder and ankle
 Posteriorly rotated pelvis (tipping backwards)
 Flat lower lumbar
 Hyperextension of thoracolumbar junction (long kyphotic curve)
 Hyperextension of hip, long weak hip flexors
 Hyperextension of knees
 Neutral ankle with body weight tending towards balls of feet
 Head poked forward
 Upper back curved forward/sunken chest
 Shoulders protracted (rounded)
 Tight upper abdominal, weak core, long weak external obliques
 Short, tight internal obliques pulling ribs forward
 Short, tight hamstrings
 Weak, flattened glutes
Wear and tear of the hip joint, lower back pain, facet joint degeneration, disc bulges, headaches,
shoulder problems are all possible health issues.
Swayback Prescription
The best exercises to help correct this type of posture will stretch the hamstrings and strengthen the hip
flexors, glutes, external obliques and core and strengthen the mid back area. Some exercises that will
help are: -
 Side planks to strengthen external obliques

 Leg pull down for the core, pelvic/shoulder stability and body awareness of posture.
 Leg pull up to strengthen glutes, stretch shoulders and chest, strengthen hip flexors with a leg
lift and improve core stability.
 Single straight leg stretch to strengthen the core and hip flexors and stretch the hamstrings
 Shoulder bridge to strengthen glutes and advanced variation will also stretch the hamstrings.
It’s a good exercise to help improve body awareness of neutral pelvis and spine. When peeling
off and rolling back down through the spine, the lumbar area is decompressed.
 Swim prep, upper body only: stretch arms out at shoulder height and rotate back as you lift
them and the chest off the ground. This will strengthen the mid back and encourage the correct
shoulder position. This will also help stretch rectus abdominis. In the correct pelvic position
with the pelvis remaining in neutral, the client can stretch the legs which will float up not higher
than above the knee and this will strengthen the glutes.
 Spine Twist for spinal mobility.

Flat back Kyphosis/ Lordosis Kyphosis Scoliosis
Lordosis
The above picture shows other common faulty postures. I am going to leave scoliosis as this is more
complex and is best left until you have developed skill and experience. This is definitely one of those
postures where you should be working on the advice of a back care specialist.
Flat Back
The main thing you will notice about this posture is the absence of the natural curves of the spine. The
characteristics are: -
 Head is forward
 Cervical spine is slightly extended
 The rectus abdominis and external obliques are tight and become the most dominant of the
abdominal muscles
 The hamstrings are tight
 The one-joint hip flexors are found to be long and weak
 The pelvis is posteriorly tilted
 Back erectors are slightly stretched Knees are slightly flexed
The ligaments and discs of the lumbar spine are put under a great deal of strain and back pain is the
normal symptom.
Flat Back Prescription

Short tight muscles are hamstrings, abdominals; quadriceps and back muscles are long and weak.
Exercises to help are: -

 Spine extension exercises are crucial as they will strengthen the back and glutes, open up rectus
abdominis and put some curves back in. Rocking is good with a thorough hamstring stretch at
the end of class.
 Shoulder bridge with the leg lift for hamstring stretching.
 One Leg Circles to strengthen hip flexors and strengthen the core.
 Leg pull down for core strength and alignment.
 Push ups for core stamina and opening up the chest.
 Spine twist variation: laying on side, head resting on a block, arms extended in front at shoulder
height palms together, knees bent – raise the top arm up and back as you twist the upper body
as if you are rolling onto your back but keeping the hips and legs still.
 Standing/seated supported side bends will stretch the obliques.
 Any hamstring stretching held for at least 30 seconds at a time.
Lordosis
An exaggerated lumbar curve, this posture is often seen with a kyphosis. The characteristics are: -
 Anterior tilt to the pelvis (tipping forward) causing hollow, arched lower back
 Flexed hips
 Short, tight hip flexors and erector spinae
 Abdominals, hamstrings and glutes are usually weak
 Short tight psoas.
A lordotic posture will negatively impact on the entire hip and pelvic areas. Some exercises to correct
this posture are: -
 The Hundred with table top knees and Single Leg Stretch. Watch that the tight hip flexors don’t
do the work of the core. Feet on the floor, knees bent and a lift of the upper body instead is a
good option.
 Supine pelvic tucks and rocking knees to chest to open up the lower back and stretch the tight
back muscles, as will Spine Twist. Corkscrew for an advanced option.
 Roll Ups and Roll Overs although modifications will be needed. Even Roll Back will be difficult to
start with. These will stretch the back muscles but also strengthen rectus abdominis.
 Shoulder Bridge with plenty of peeling away and rolling down for hamstring and glute strength
and mobility for the spine.
 Hip flexor stretch: Drop down onto your right knee (in line with hip and shoulder) and bring your
left foot forward with right angles at the hip and knee. Just tucking the tailbone under and
moving the hips forward by 10cms should be a good stretch for the hip flexors for this posture
type (similar to Yoga Crescent Moon, but smaller range).

Kyphosis
An exaggerated curve of the middle back area, a common symptom of sitting slumped at a desk, for
example. There are certain diseases that can cause kyphosis, but we are concerned with poor postural
habits here. The main characteristics are: -
 Rounding of the shoulders, which flexes the thoracic spine.

 The chest and abdominal muscles are short and tight
 muscles in the posterior region are long and weak.
Back and shoulder pain, even migraines can be attributed to this posture type. Exercises to help are: -
 Double Leg Kick, especially the arm stretch part which will really open up the chest and
shoulders.
 Swimming which will be challenging. To modify, it can be done on hands and knees, engaging
core whilst lifting and lengthening opposite limbs.
 Swan prep just lifting the upper body up to increase thoracic mobility.
 Rocking, although not the best choice if lordosis is also present.
 Any stretches for the arms and shoulders, for example, triceps stretches: reach down between
the shoulder blades with one hand and up with the other and see if you can link the fingers. If
not, use a strap to bridge the gap.
 Dumb Waiter: sit with your back against the back of a dining chair, upper arms squeezed in to
the ribs, elbows bent, palms up. As you exhale, upper arm stays squeezed in whilst you
externally rotate your forearms. Take care: this seems easy, but is very strong. Very good for
stretching front of shoulders.

Postural Assessment

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POSTURAL ASSESSMENT

Pilates Matwork Teacher Training Course Josie McKenlay

Pilates Matwork Teacher Training Course Josie McKenlay

 Side planks to strengthen external obliques

Pilates Matwork Teacher Training Course Josie McKenlay

Flat Back Prescription

Pilates Matwork Teacher Training Course Josie McKenlay

Pilates Matwork Teacher Training Course Josie McKenlay

 Rounding of the shoulders, which flexes the thoracic spine.

Pilates Matwork Teacher Training Course Josie McKenlay

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