Good Posture - Postural Alignment for Dancers

 

Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against force of gravity while standing, sitting or moving. It is important to understand the correct position of the body parts and the process of adjusting body parts so that they are stacked equally on top of one another in a healthy position. Good posture requires the least amount of muscle activity to maintain an upright position.

Posture is important for good health as:

• It allows us to be active with more energy, less stress and fatigue
• It allows musclo-skeletal system to hold the body parts in place
• It allows space for your vital organs to function at optimal efficiency
• It allows you to breathe more efficiently
• It promotes efficient functioning of the nervous system

What is Neutral Alignment? Specialised muscle groups known as postural muscles work against the downward pull of gravity to maintain an upright posture. To maintain neutral alignment these postural muscles that run up the front and the back of the body, cross all weight baring joints work constantly against gravity to hold the body in a neutral position. The aim is to maintain a balance when still or moving but with no extra tension. It is important to be aware that you inherit postural factors however, changes take place throughout your life depending on the way you use your body. Also be aware that your posture constantly changes depending on the activity you are engaged in, whether you are sitting or standing for long periods of time or dancing, your musclo-skeletal system is constantly working to maintain alignment.

Short Term Changes

Short-term changes occur as physical, mental or emotional stresses during the day can cause fatigue in the postural muscles making them less efficient at working against gravity.

Long Term Changes

The cumulative effect of these short term changes, plus other factors like injury, can lead to more permanent changes in posture as bone structure alters due to prolonged muscle imbalances.

Possible of Causes Postural Changes: Hereditary factors Environment resulting from bad posture, for example how you sit Stress mental, physical or emotional Repetitive action - muscles shorten, overuse and muscle imbalance Trauma effects of an accident or injury Disease affecting the musclo-skeletal system

Ideal Alignment (Neutral)

Every human body is unique and from the moment we are born various factors, (gravity and the activities we engage in) alter our posture therefore muscle imbalance and misalignment will affect all of us to a greater or lesser extent.

Alignment from the front Imagine a thread though the head giving a feeling of upward lift, through neck and upper spine, keeping the body light and open. Imagine a sense of relaxation and downward movement by a thread through the base of the spine. Stand with your feet in parallel placed hip width apart; spread your weight equally between both feet Head floating on top of neck with neck long and centred Chest area open with a light lift of sternum (do not overarch in lower back) Shoulders relaxed - blades go down back and inwards Arms hang from the shoulders, hands relaxed Ribcage down with abdominals gently engaged Pelvis in neutral alignment, supporting the lumbar spine Hips level (imagine triangle reaching from one hip bone to the other, down to your pubic bone. Each point of the triangle is at the same level) Buttock, thighs and tail bone are relaxed avoid arching lower back Knees in line with feet, keep knees soft Weight is equally distributed between the feet and evenly distributed over 3 points on feet: under big toe, little and heel with natural arches and toes relaxed

Assess alignment from the side

Line of gravity
This is an imaginary line, which falls vertically through the body and is a useful measure when assessing posture.

From a side view standing upright the line of gravity passes through:  The line of gravity will not fall through all of these points if posture is incorrect and will move as the position of the body changes.

Common Postural Problems

When viewed from the side the spine's natural position appears as an S shape curve. The bones are formed into four distinct curves of the spine, which are held together and supported by the back muscles and ligaments. It allows movement of the head and trunk and supports and maintains the centre support for the entire body and supports the upper parts of the body. For many people this natural spinal alignment is misalignment due to incorrect postural habits such as sitting or standing awkwardly.

Kyphosis	Lordosis	Flat Back	Scolosis
Exaggerated outward curvature of thoracic spine Muscle imbalance: Weak lower back muscles Tight chest muscles	Exaggerated inward curvature of lumbar spine (swayback) Muscle imbalance: Weak Abdominal muscles Tight hip flexors and lower back	Diminished inward curvature of the lumbar spine	Exaggerated lateral curvature of any part of the spine

Laura Stanyer's Postural Visualization, watch and follow along to release tension and promote awareness of you body and alignment.  Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The information contained on this web page is intended as general guidance and information only. Laura Stanyer and its authors accept no liability for any loss, injury or damage however incurred as a consequence, whether directly or indirectly, of the use this information. All advice on this web page should only be used under the supervision of a qualified dance / fitness / healthcare professional.

How to Stay Hydrated - Avoiding Dehydration

The human body is made up of approximately 70% water. We loose water by sweating and breathing during physical exertion. Water is an important part of our body it is important that we replace water that we lose from our daily activites by increasing our fluid intake.

It's important to keep well hydrated throughout your day and is essential when engaging in any type of physical activity such as running or dancing. The duration of your exercise sessions, heat, humidity and sweat produced are all major factors to consider when keeping your body in proper fluid balance.

Dehydration impairs your physical performance as you only need to loose 2% of your body weight as fluid for your performance to become noticeably impaired.

Hydration Tips:

• Start hydrating early. Drink a glass of water when you first get up in the morning
• Take a water bottle with you and sip all day long to maintain body temperature
• Drink before you get thirsty. Thirst is a sign that your body is already dehydrated
• Try sipping at least half a pint of water 30 minutes before physical activity
• Replenish lost fluids by sipping water every 15 minutes during physical activity
• Continue to drink water even if you think you have quenched your thirst
• Only drink fruit juices after a hard workout, it can help with re-hydration and replenish glycogen
• Don't forget to drink water when engaged in physical activity in cold weather. You still lose fluid it's just not as noticeable

Sweating
Sweating occurs when your body temperature rises 0.5 degrees above normal you will loose water, in the form of sweat. It evaporates from the skin taking the heat with it. Without sweating, your body would overheat and would eventually collapse from heat exhaustion.

Fluid Replacement
Replace the water lost through sweating during physical activity but be aware individuals loose water at different rates so some may need to drink more than others.

However here are general guidelines for hydration during physical activity:

• Drink 500ml (2 - 3 glasses) of water 30 minutes to one hour before your physical activity
• Drink 200ml (1 - 2 glasses) of water every 20 minutes during your physical activity
• Drink at least 500ml (2 - 3 glasses) after your physical activity

Signs of Dehydration

Checking the colour of your urine is a good indicator as to your level of hydration:

What about Sports Drinks?
Water is recommended as it is easily absorbed. Sports drinks that have selected levels of carbohydrates and electrolytes are created to maintain fluid levels and prevent fatigue. This can enhance performance by fuelling the muscles during exercise. Research has shown that a solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrates may help to retain fluids consumed after prolonged intense exercise.

CAUTION: Be careful not to confuse sports and energy drinks, sport drinks do not contain caffeine but do contain water, carbohydrates and electrolytes (generally sodium and potassium) to provide energy and aid hydration. However, energy or performance drinks have a variety of supplements and often stimulants that dehydrate you. Always read the label and evaluate the safety like you would any other supplement. If there is more than 10% of sugar it is an energy drink not a sports drink.

How to Stay Hydrated - Things to Avoid!
Avoid Too Much Caffeine
Consuming too much caffeine and high sugar energy drinks is not the best idea during physical activity because they actually slow down the rate of fluid absorption.

Caffeine is found in:

• Coffee
• Tea
• Energy drinks
• Colas
• Fizzy drinks

Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol acts as a diuretic and will increase water loss. Drinking too much alcohol, especially on a regular basis, can increase the risk of health problems. It is a poor fuel source and has a very slow rate of metabolism. If you drink alcohol before physical activity your judgement will be progressively impaired, physical performance will be badly affected as there is a loss of co-ordination. Do not drink alcohol after physical activity as it doesn't replace fluid loss and can prevent the refuelling of your glycogen stores. Be aware a hangover reduces your endurance ability the next day.

WARNING: Avoid drinking alcohol for 24 hours after muscle or soft tissue injury. Drinking large amounts of alcohol may increase swelling after injury and hinder the repair process.



Hot Weather
Exercising during hot weather will result in extra fluid loss leading to dehydration. Try to avoid dehydration, heat stress and poor performance by adequate fluid replacement during your summer physical activities. Remember only a small degree of dehydration will cause a decrease in performance, which arises in the late stages of your physical activity when performance is most important. Dehydration contributes to fatigue and thirst is a poor indicator as it is a late signal of severe fluid loss so it is important to replace fluids throughout physical activity.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this web page is intended as general guidance and information only. Laurastanyer.co.uk and its authors accept no liability for any loss, injury or damage however incurred as a consequence, whether directly or indirectly, of the use this information. All advice on this web page should only be used under the supervision of a qualified dance / fitness / healthcare professional.