Posture Exercises For Children Are Important

By Author: Ronnie Sweet
Total Articles: 85
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Posture Exercises are a specific category of exercises designed to improve posture. Improving alignment allows the body to perform optimally by evenly distributing stresses throughout the body and lessening the impact on any one joint, muscle, ligament, or organ.

Performing posture exercises arenot difficult, e.g. there is nothing complicated about stretching a hamstring or strengthening the core muscles, but the challenge is often knowing when to use which exercise.

Usually we think of muscles in opposing pairs e.g. abdominal and lower back muscles (erector spinale & multifidus). Why are they opposites? One is on the front side of the spine, the other on the back. One bends the trunk forward, the other bends it backwards. One tilts the top of the pelvis backwards, the other tilts the top of the pelvis forward.

If one of the opposing muscles is tight, the opposite is usually in a lengthened position. A muscle in a lengthened position typically doesn't work effectively e.g. If the lower back muscles are tight rolling the top of the pelvis forward and increasing the arch in the lower back, the abdominals ...
... will be in a lengthen position.

In this scenario typical posture exercises would focus on stretching the muscles of the lower back will strengthening the abdominal muscles.

This exercise plan would work great for people with this type of posture the majority of the time. Unfortunately due to the intricacy of the human body it doesn't work for everyone all of the time. To understand why lets look at a few examples.

When strengthening the abdominal muscles most people think of a sit up. The problem with a sit up is that you also use your Hip Flexors (muscles at the front of the hip). Strong Hip Flexors can contribute to forward tilt of the pelvis. Therefore by doing the exercise with the goal to improve your posture can actually help maintain the bad one.

how to improve childs posture
Posture exercises for children