Balance, posture and alignment.

The importance of neutral spinal alignment has been discussed in relation

to the spine & Injury prevention. Neutral spine alignment it's also part of the
body's control mechanism for balance. The ability to maintain the body's
balance during many exercises is important for proper exercise execution
as well as injury prevention. From a mechanical perspective maintaining
balance involves controlling the position of the body’s center of gravity.

In a symmetrical, equally dense object, the center of gravity is located in

the object’s geometric center. In the human body the position of the body
parts determines where the center of gravity will be at any one time. Each
time the body moves there is a redistribution of the body mass and the
center of the gravity shifts. Movement of large body parts like the legs, has
a greater effect on the center of gravity than moving smaller body parts like
the arms for example. To maintain balance, a vertical line that passes
through the body center of gravity from the top of the head to the ground
must fall within the base of support for the body, which is the area of the
body in contact with the ground - in the most cases that is the feet.
Keeping the base wide and the body low to the ground, helps ensure that
the line of gravity stays within the base of support. When you lean in any
direction, the center of gravity shifts with you. If you lean too far, the center
of gravity might move outside the base of support and make you lose
balance and fall over.

Posture and Alignment are critical in the prevention of chronic disorders as

well as acute injury. Proper posture and Alignment should be taught and
promoted in any exercise program.

The truth is that many acute and chronic injuries can be traced back to lack
of support and compromised joint Integrity as a result of muscle imbalance
in either strength or flexibility. The human body craves Symmetry and
balance but when only one muscle of a pair it's overloaded and the other
one it's ignored the body usually triggers of a physiological response to
keep itself from becoming too unbalanced so what it does is to inhibit
growth in the overworked muscle. So for example, if your goal is to improve
the appearance of your arms, but you only focus on the biceps and ignore
the triceps will not allow your biceps to develop as much as it would, if you
worked both muscles s a pair and maintain them balances.
This principle applies not only to weightlifting but it also carries through all
forms of exercise.