Essential Physical Therapy

This posture is a little more complex because it is not what it seems!

It SEEMS like these rounded patients need to pull shoulders down and back, BUT that is one of the worst things they can do because…

It will likely cause them to push their lower ribs up, but what they actually need is to use their side abs (transverse abdomens and internal obliques) to anchor the lower ribs so that the upper ribs can EXPAND, thusly allowing them to be more upright.

Also, these patients need to expand the sides of their ribcage so that their pelvis can open in the frontal plane. They need to regain the ability to shift side to side by sensing air into their side ribs.

These techniques shown here are the BEGINNING of a program. It takes more work, but this is a great start.

Does this posture describe you or someone you know? (Don’t name drop them please 😅). Would you want to know what other techniques to do? Let me know in the comments👇

It aligns our ribcage and diaphragm in a way that promotes natural rotation and neural flow without over tensing your back, neck or hips.

We can LOSE flexion as we challenge our body with stress, physical, mental or emotional. Extension is a protective pattern, which is good sometimes but not for all day, everyday.

Unfortunately many of us get “stuck” in extension and wonder why we don’t feel good.

Try a PRI functional squat (staying in flexion):
⭐️squat as low as you can, heels down, knees within arms, BACK ROUNDED meaning pelvis tucked and sternum back.
⭐️If you lose the rounded back, game over.
⭐️When starting with this you will probably not go very low and that’s okay! Staying rounded is most important.
⭐️Hold onto something for support so you can lean back and round more.