What do you notice about people? What is the very first thing that registers with you? People often start apologising when they meet me and find out I’m a trainer! They then rapidly point out all their flaws, as they see them, saying things like “You probably can see I need to lose weight” or “I don’t like this flabbly bit under my arm” or “My thighs are too wobbly” and so on.

It would probably surprise most of them to learn that I don’t see whether they are in great shape or not, their age, their wrinkles (or lack of them!), whether they are overweight, athletic, or even their gender! What I notice most about people, the very first thing I register BEFORE I consciously think about anything else is their posture. It’s only once I’ve made a quick and cursory visual assessment on any postural issues that my attention is drawn to anything else.

Good posture, or neutral postural alignment, is where the spine has a natural “s” shape; a small, upper, cervical curve exists along with a lower lumbar curve. The pelvis is in a neutral position, neither tipping forwards or backwards and loading through the spine is minimised and balanced against gravity. A crude self assessment can be made by getting someone to take a photograph of you from the side. You should be able to trace a straight line from the ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle joint. Any deviation from this will indicate a postural fault.

Detailed postural assessment plays a crucial role in developing an appropriate training programme for the individual; yet it is all too often overlooked. I am aware of many people who, in spite of their commitment to regular exercise, have the most shocking posture – not trained by myself, I hasten to add! You may have a “figure to die for” but poor posture will detract from the overall impression. Likewise you may not have the shape or body of your dreams but if you have good posture you will instantly look better, taller, more confident and self assured.

Posture is more than an aesthetic issue though. Bad posture gives rise to serious health implications such as increased injury risk, back pain, digestive disturbances and impaired cardiovascular function to name a few. A thorough postural analysis will reveal muscular imbalances and identify muscular length and strength. Restrictions in movement and flexibility will also be noted. Unless poor posture is a result of accident, disease or birth defect it can be addressed and corrected to bring the body back into balance. First, it might be useful to consider how bad posture has been acquired.

Think about young children. They are perfect examples of how our bodies are designed to function and move. Observe a toddler playing and you’ll see them squat down, bottom touching the floor effortlessly. Perhaps most of us would prefer not to bite our toenails, but young children have no problem bringing their foot to their mouth. Anyone who has ever held an uncooperative three year old will vouch for how they are able to collapse in half (forward flexion), arch their back throwing their body backwards (back extension) and rotate their torso seemingly independent of their legs! Watch them in the throws of full on temper tantrum and you’ll see rapid changes in direction such as throwing themselves prone to the floor and then jumping back onto their feet. In short, young children constantly move their bodies through all planes of motion; sagittal, frontal, traverse and utilise a full range through the joints. It is through this daily movement of the body that it remains strong and flexible and resistant to injury.

Then we get older, we stop moving our bodies and both the effects of gravity and a sedentary lifestyle starts to take its toll. Long periods driving, sat at computer screens or watching the television can lead to issues such as shortened tightened hamstrings, a weak back that cannot support the torso, rounded shoulders and a head that juts forward. Movement and range of motion through the joints becomes restricted and, unless we make a conscious effort and retrain the body, daily function becomes poorer as we age.

Sometimes bad posture will indicate someone’s state of mind; for example, a very self conscious teenager whose growth spurt has put him ahead – literally – of his peers may stoop, with head down, avoiding eye contact. Unfortunately, by the time his peers catch up, his bad posture may have become a habit that, left uncorrected, will continue into adulthood.

Incorrect postural alignment can also develop or be reinforced as a result of poor exercise technique and/or incorrect exercise selection. If you load joints either with weights or increased forces travelling through them, as happens with running, without considering joint position and postural alignment injury will surely follow. So, for example, someone with a very “flat back” posture with typically short, tight, hamstrings and a posterior pelvic tilt would not be advised to focus on leg exercises that primarily work the hamstrings – such as a leg curl. Whilst running – without addressing the underlying postural issues – will almost certainly aggravate the condition leading to further hamstring tightness and back pain.

If we acknowledge bad posture is something we have developed over the years we can then accept good posture will be acquired with appropriate exercise prescription. This will include corrective exercises, developmental stretches and practising movement patterns that reinforce neutral postural alignment.

There are several different postural anomalies and a good assessment by a qualified trainer will reveal which muscles are tightened and shortened, those that are lengthened and weakened, restrictions in the range of movement and any mechanical compensations being made as a result. So, for example, someone who is extremely kyphotic with increased cervical curvature (rounded shoulders) will require exercises to strengthen the shoulder girdle and upper back along with flexibility exercises to stretch the chest and front of the shoulder.

In conclusion, a good training programme will do more than help you loose a bit of weight or make you stronger or make you faster. An initial assessment will consider what postural issues are present and then, and only then, should a training programme be designed that will address these issues before focusing on your other goals.