HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

The Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Posture

By Annette Verpillot

In the sporting and strength and conditioning world, it’s long been
debated whether posture has much of an impact on performance
on the field. Some even went so far as to propose that the very
compensation the athlete exhibited was an essential part of their
sports performance.
 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

Overview

Movement is a succession of different postures; as such, all activity begins with pos-
ture and ends with posture. The relationships between body parts can be controlled
voluntarily; however, our tonic posture is controlled by the unconscious part of our
brain.

For perfectly erect standing, very little muscle activity is needed. Joints are balanced
on one another in such a way as to minimize the work necessary to hold one upright
against gravity. Posture in these terms is thought of as static.

Are your shoulders always pulling you forward? Do you struggle to touch the floor be-
cause you have tight hamstrings? Do you suffer from mid-back fatigue and burning?

We stand for long periods with our hips forward, and slouch frequently while working
on something in front of us. We tend to overuse some muscles and underuse others,
and this is what causes postural problems.

But what is the true cause behind our poor posture?

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

Assessing Postural Instability

Poor motor control causes poor movement patterns and imbalance between tonic (in-
volutary) and phasic (voluntary) muscles.

These phasic muscles are the big movers of the body, and their action depends on the
stabilizers of the body, the tonic muscles. The tonic muscles work against gravity and
their imbalances are linked to poor proprioception.

Proprioception comes from two main sources of input, the feet and the eyes. Both of
these sensory entries project onto specific parts of the brain that alter muscle tension
and coordination.

When injury occurs, postural compensations have been present for a while. In order to
change motor patterns we need to re-wire the brain.

The Romberg test is a great test to perform to assess someone’s peoprioception. In-
ability to perform this test successflully could suggest poor coordination.

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

Assessing Posture
SAGITTAL PLANE

There should be three natural curves in the spine. Any increase or decrease of these
curvatures can affect optimal ROM of the pelvis and hips.

The ears should be aligned vertically over the shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles. If not,
we refer to this as an Anterior Scapular Plane (ASP).

With an ASP, the physiological curves of the spine are not respected, leading to a myriad
of symptoms such as increased cortisol levels, foot, calf, knee, hip, back and neck pain or
injury.

FRONTAL PLANE
The shoulders and pelvis should be leveled horizontally. A tilt of the shoulder or pelvis will
compress the brachial and lumbar plexus, resulting in an increase likelihood of injury and a
decrease in strength output of the shoulder, hip and knee joints.

TRANSVERSE PLANE

There should be no rotations of the shoulders or pelvis. Rotations are reponsible

for excessive strains on the spinal cord and excessive demands on the muscles and
ligaments.

https://youtu.be/1r1LHyAXvoA

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

The Causes of Poor Posture

Sedentary behavior and poor ergonomics at work are detrimental to the health of our
spine and muscles. These habits generate tension within our musculoskeletal system,
and eventually lead to altered motor patterns.

Our bodies send sensory information to our brain. Our brain relies on this incoming
information regardless of its accuracy. When the information going to the brain is inac-
curate or uneven (ex: excess tension mentioned above), the brain will understand this
information to be true, triggering a new postural adaptation reflex. The brain then con-
siders this to be the “new normal” which will only further exacerbate the pathology.

The brain (our computer) will continue to function with a pathological program.
To improve posture and/or performance, you need an approach that will target your
faulty motor patterns. So, to improve performance – speed, agility, strength, coordina-
tion – you have to work on the input and not the output.

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

Check your Shoes

When we are barefoot and standing upright, our body creates a 90-degree angle with
the floor. When we have a 2-inch heel, our body tilts forward, creating a 70-degree
angle. A 3-inch heel will create a 55-degree angle.

Thus, for the body to maintain an erect position, a whole series of joint adjustments
(ankle, knee, hip, spine, head) are required. As such, bones, ligaments, tendons, mus-
cles, and joints become affected from head to foot!

If these adjustments are sustained over prolonged periods, or by habitual use of heels,
the strains and stresses become chronic, causing or contributing to aches and pain
in the legs, back, shoulders and more. This also leads to excess fatigue and energy
expenditure.

Shoe Flexibility
What makes shoes inflexible? Firstly, the average shoe bottom consists of several
layers and components: outsole, midsole, insole, sock liner, filler materials, cushioning.
This multiple-layered sandwich poses a formidable challenge to bending or flexing.
Secondly, many types of footwear - athletic, sneakers, work, outdoor boots, walking,
casual, etc. - have thick soles, which further adds to inflexibility.

https://youtu.be/R0hQXr13IOc

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

Shoe Weight
A lightweight pair of 16-ounce shoes amounts to a cumulative four tons of foot-lift load
daily (16 ounces times 6,000 foot-lift steps). If the shoes weigh 32 ounces, daily foot-
lift load is eight tons; and 44 ounces adds up to 11 tons. Every four ounces of shoe
weight added contributes to another one ton of foot-lift load.

These foot lift loads impose an energy drain not only on the foot, but on the whole
body. It is a common (though rarely recognized) source of foot and body fatigue.
Which is why after a long day on one’s feet, one arrives home feeling “dog-tired” and
kicks off one’s shoes.

Shoe Fit
There is substantial and incontestable evidence that no commercial footwear fits prop-
erly, regardless of type, brand, style, or price. This is due to a combination of inherent
faults in shoe design and construction. Even the shoe sizing system itself is riddled
with inconsistencies! We are still using the “system” introduced 630 years ago and
“updated” 117 years ago.

Sensory Response
The soles and tips of the toes contain over 200,000 nerve endings, perhaps the high-
est concentration to be found anywhere of comparable size on the body. Our nerve
dense soles are our only tactile contact with the physical world around us. Without
them we would lose equilibrium and become disoriented.

However, when several layers of shoe bottom materials are packed between foot and
ground, a certain amount of sensory blockage is inevitable, and our gait loses some of
its natural energies and functional efficiency.

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

Your Teeth and Your Head Posture

Head Posture
When you clench your teeth, your head is pulled forward, creating additional tension
in your neck, shoulders, and back. For every inch that your head is thrust forward from
its natural position, another 10 pounds of stress & pressure is added to the spine. This
can eventually lead to tissue damage, or structural damage.

Tongue Posture
In a well-organized body, the tongue should be in contact with the palate at rest, and
the tip of the tongue should sit about half an inch behind the front teeth.

Furthermore, your lips should be sealed and your teeth should rest just slightly apart.
There is in fact some controversy about tooth position, but I prefer apart, since it stops
me from gritting my teeth together. “Lips together, teeth apart” is a good mantra to re-
member!

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

How Tongue Position And Swallowing Mechanics Affect Your Body

This dysfunctional pattern is typically known as tongue thrust. Instead of pushing up,
the tongue pushes forward, either at rest or when swallowing (or both!)

If you have a tongue thrust habit, the mechanical load of your tongue pushing against
the back of your teeth will act a bit like (bad) braces. Your front teeth end up taking on
the shape of your tongue, as you can see in this picture. Not ideal!

In contrast, when the tongue is in its correct spot, it works like an effective pair of
braces. The tongue’s pressure on the roof of the mouth actually causes your palate to
expand. The roof of your mouth is also the base of the sinuses.

When you widen your palate with your tongue, you also open up your nasal passages
and make it easier to breathe. So, lips closed and tongue up favors an expanded air-
way!

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

Stress Triggers Clenching

Researchers report that stress is the most significant factor in predicting the frequen-
cy and severity of bruxism (Alhberg et al., 2003). Stressors such as daily problems,
trouble at work, and physical problems have all been found to correlate with increased
teeth grinding (Giraki et al., 2010).

Outside of daily life stress, bruxism has also been induced by experimentally triggering
micro-arousal in sleepers (Kato et al., 2003). This suggests that tooth grinding is not
only correlated with stress, but in fact, is caused by it.

In today’s fast-paced world, where employees are often expected to be “always-on”

and job stress travels everywhere via a smartphone, bruxism and other stress induced
symptoms are on the rise (Nadel, 2009).

The Vicious Cycle of Bruxism, Insomnia, and Stress

Another characteristic that often accompanies bruxism is an escape style of stress
management (Giraki et al., 2010). Not dealing with daily stressors head on, increases
the likelihood of tooth damage and facial pain.

This combination of chronic unmanaged stress and teeth grinding can fuel insomnia.
Insomnia then leads to reduced daily function which can trigger further stress and
continue the vicious cycle of stress, teeth grinding, and sleep difficulties. Meditation
and other psychological methods of stress reduction may prove helpful in breaking the
cycle, but relaxation alone may not be enough to save teeth from the damage of grind-
ing.

Night mouth guards provide protection for the teeth enamel but do not provide a per-
manent solution for stress reduction.

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

The Role of Custom Dental Night Guards

A custom dental night guard can help reduce the damage of bruxism. Professional
mouth guards for grinding teeth are made of a range of materials from soft rubber to
laminate to acrylic, and they provide a protective layer between the teeth that both pre-
vents dental erosion and reduces the disruptive noise associated with teeth grinding.

Parafunctional Habits
The term oral parafunctional habit is used to describe any abnormal behavior or func-
tioning of the oral structures and associated muscles. Behaviors commonly included in
this category may include: bruxism, clenching, excessive gum chewing, lip or fingernail
biting, or non-nutritive sucking.

Thumb/digit sucking or pacifier use is classified as non-nutritive sucking. Cessation of

these behaviors normally occurs naturally, as the infant progresses towards toddler
age.

However, if these behaviors continue past infancy, there are likely to be negative im-
pacts on the developing orofacial structures and posture.

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

Fix your Posture in 3 Steps

Train your Eyes

We all know how important it is to keep our bodies fit by keeping active and maintain-
ing a regular exercise routine. But, did you know that you can exercise your eyes as
well?

Eye exercises are designed to strengthen your eye muscles, improve focus, improve
eye movements, and stimulate the vision center of your brain. While there is no scien-
tific proof that eye exercises will improve your eyesight, they may help to counteract
existing eye problems you have and maintain your current eyesight level.

Furthermore, our vision affects 100% of our brain, and an eye muscle imbalance can
cause our posture to be misaligned, and affect the quality of our movement. Eye exer-
cises should be an important part of our daily routine.

https://youtu.be/aGu1dJxnxGA

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

1) Remove your Shoes Inserts

Tip #1 - Remove internal arch. The human foot is equipped with mechanoreceptors
that can sense anywhere between 3-24 grams of pressure. An arch support modifies
gait patterns and can, in some cases, aggravate bowlegged conditions. Remove all
arch support from your feet and stimulate your feet instead. To find out more, please
visit: https://posturepro.co/flat-feet/

Tip #2 - Ground zero. Get closer to the ground. Thick soles prevent our nervous sys-
tem from feeling the ground that we walk on.
Tip #3 - Flexible shoes. Rigid shoes prevent proper extension and flexion of the ankle,
and can become restrictive in motion.

Tip #4 - Space at the forefoot to accommodate the toes. Most shoes are made tight at
the forefoot. This prevents toe expansion during gait patterns.

Tip #5 - Are your shoes the proper size? To test this, position your foot on top of the
shoe, if your toe is over the shoe, then the size is too small.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKl-ZcUju7m/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

2) Stop Clenching your Teeth!

Reduce Stress
Increased anxiety or stress is one of the many reasons we clench our teeth. To re-
duce clenching, learn how to manage your stress. If you’re going through a particularly
rough patch in your life, don’t rule out professional counseling. For other stress reliev-
ers, try exercise or meditation. Even something as simple as a relaxing bath before
bed may go a long way in reducing your bruxism.

Breath Through Your Nose

Breathing through the mouth tends to inflate only the upper lobes of the lungs, which
are connected to sympathetic nerve fibers, the branch of the nervous system that ac-
tivates the fight or flight response. When you switch to nose breathing, you inflate the
entire lungs, including the lower lobes, which are connected to the parasympathetic
branch of the nervous system, the branch that calms the body, slows the heart rate,
relaxes and soothes. Through proper nose breathing, you employ both branches of the
nervous system. The back-and-forth fluctuation is a balancing act that your body intrin-
sically knows how to do and that your mind appreciates.

https://youtu.be/kACi-NKB52w

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

Restore Physiological Nasal Breathing

The majority of people have postural imbalances. Many of these imbalances stem
from the fact that people are breathing through their mouths. Mouth breathing makes it
impossible to perform at your peak athletic performance. Furthermore, mouth breath-
ing pushes the head forward, affecting your stability, strength, and oxygen intake. The
Functional Activator is designed to help you place your tongue in its proper physiolog-
ical position -the top of your palate. By doing so, your shoulders and pelvis become
better aligned, which helps eliminate postural imbalances.

Here are two simple tips that you can do to improve nasal breathing:
1) Put water in your mouth and keep it there throughout your training program.
2) Position your tongue on top of your palate 2-5 minutes per day.
You can help restore physiological nasal breathing with the Functional Activator http://
bit.ly/NoseBreathing

3) Train your eyes!

Use this eye exercise to teach your eyes to track evenly. This will improve the posture
of your neck and shoulders. To test, simply put a pen at 90 ̊ in front of the eyes and
try to focus your gaze on the tip pf the pen. Chances are that your eyes have difficulty
holding the gaze.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CILK3Zsjpbc/?utm_source=ig_

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

About the Author

Annette Verpillot is the founder of Posturepro, a health company specializing
in neuromechanics and Postural Recalibration. She is a Canadian
entrepreneur, therapist, public speaker and internationally esteemed
Posturologist. Annette has developed some of the world’s most advanced rehabilitation and injury
prevention training protocols, while also creating an international Postural Recalibration training pro-
gram.

Her recent research collaboration with McGill University’s School of Physical and Occupational Ther-
apy was showcased at the Movementis 2018 Conference at Harvard University. Her current research
projects test the clinic benefits of this approach on two target populations: Parkinson’s patients (in
conjunction with the University of Montreal), and children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
(in partnership with UQAM).

Her unique postural evaluation system has gained great distinction and is recognized throughout the
world for addressing chronic pain, increasing strength, and increasing sports proficiency. Today, she
is regarded as one of the most experienced Posturologists in North America and has had numerous
opportunities to teach Posturology to professionals in various fields. Annette has presented her meth-
ods of Posturology to the public at TEDX Montreal woman, Breakfast Television, ICI Television, and
Collectively Beautiful.

She has worked with renowned strength coaches, elite athletes and team coaches from professional
leagues and NCAA Division I sports. In the past two years, she has presented the concepts of Postur-
ology to the coaching staff of the New Jersey Devils, the 49ers, the University of New Mexico men’s
basketball team, the Florida Gator’s men’s basketball team, and the UNC Charlotte men’s basketball
team. Most recently, she presented at SWIS 2018 in Toronto and at the International Association of
Functional Neurology and Rehabilitation (IAFNR) Annual Meeting in Phoenix.

She also hosts various podcasts and has recently been featured on Muscle Intelligence podcast and
holds a semi-regular spot on a local radio station. She continues to recognize and address the var-
ious factors associated with global health issues and pursues to amaze professionals who have an
open mind that wish to truly and lastingly help their clients and patients.

Click on this link to see her TED talk: http://bit.ly/PostureproTEDx

Click on this link to see her on Breakfast Television: http://bit.ly/PostureFix
Click on this link to listen to her latest interview: http://bit.ly/muscle-intelligence

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 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

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